


Forward

by Lyricanna



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, King Leon | Leo, M/M, Niles being Niles, Post-Canon, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright, Slow Burn, kagero/orochi mentioned, leo/nyx mentioned, past niles/leo, relationship building, semi-historical ideas of propriety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-02-03 11:36:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12747516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyricanna/pseuds/Lyricanna
Summary: Leo has been crowned King and Niles is trying to be supportive; it would be easier if their relationship hadn't been cut short because of it.  At least there was lots to do to take his mind off of it.





	1. Shadows of the past

Niles kicked back another drink and tried to push aside the guilt that was hounding him. He was, technically, off-duty as Camilla had put Beruka in charge of security for the wedding. King Leo had insisted that Niles try to relax and oh he was trying. Still, he did _not_ get inebriated in his king's presence; he would never want to embarrass him. Niles had acquired enough professionalism over the years to avoid that.

Not enough, however to avoid developing feelings for his lord. His king, he had to keep reminding himself. Gods, that Xander had died and Camilla had relinquished all claim to the throne. He never thought he would miss the stern killjoy of a crown prince but he did. It had allowed Leo to take certain liberties that a king could not. Liberties that Niles could still feel the shadows of on his skin, midnight confessions haunting his thoughts and making sleep impossible.

The worst was knowing that Leo still loved him but would not make the same transgressions as his father had. And Niles couldn't blame him; he had to restore some normalcy, some trust to the kingdom. He had to appear righteous in the eyes of those damned Hoshidans that suffered him to rule simply because they didn't want Nohr to be their _problem_. So, despite every stolen touch, every whispered word, every dream laid bare, Leo kept to his honour and tried to give himself completely to his new wife. Who was good for him, if Niles was in a generous enough mood to admit it. Leo had asked for Niles' approval and he had agreed, even as it crushed his heart. But he wouldn't let his misery ruin things for Leo; he was happy enough, if not in love, he had the potential to get there eventually. He was courteous and kind to his now wife and his eyes held affection when he looked at her. But gods, that same look was still in his eye when he looked at Niles. Niles admired Leo's discipline; he was barely keeping himself in check.

And so he had attended the ceremony and the feast amongst dignitaries from Cyrkensia, the Wolfs kin tribe and of course, the Hoshidan royal family along with their retainers. In the morning he would pledge to protect the queen and renew his oath to his king. But that was hours away and he knew that if he left early it would result in rumours. Too many people knew or thought they knew what had happened behind closed doors. And while Niles didn't give a damn about his own reputation, he cared for Leo's. His king. He finished the rest of his drink and considered asking one of the servers to just bring him the bottle when they next walked by.

He leaned back in his chair and surveyed the room. An orchestra was playing the usual wedding fare and couples had taken to the floor eagerly. Garon's reign had seen very little in the way of feasts and balls. With the borders re-opened and alliances with the other nations established, there might be a bit more of that in Leo's reign. If he didn't just deem it a waste of resources. Leo was more practical than indulgent after all.

Niles closed his eye against the bright light from the lanterns and candles for a moment. He wasn't drunk yet but he was buzzed enough to know that he had a headache on the way. But then, most people would be hungover tomorrow.

He sighed and glanced around the room. The obvious answer to getting over his feelings would be to involve himself with someone else, however temporary. Aside from the maids, butlers and guards, he had little to choose from. He couldn't afford to offend anyone of position, which was a pity. And incredibly appealing. Meddling with any of the visiting Hoshidans would likely result in upsetting the tenuous alliance. Hoshidans were reputedly very dull anyway. Pretty but traditional.

A fight was almost as appealing as losing himself with a stranger. More in a way. He flirted with death as shamelessly as he did anyone else.

And just like that temptation took a seat across from him. Niles took him in with a predatory glance, hoping it would be enough to send the Hoshidan running. Yet the pretty redhead wore an expression that was perfectly self assured and his complexion made it clear that he was also perfectly sober. His hair and skin, like blood on snow. Tempting to just bloody up the rest of him too. Despite everything King Leo had done to civilize him, Niles still enjoyed making people scream.

“If you're looking for dance partners you should try another table,” Niles said before the man across from him could utter a word. “Unless of course you're interested in a more private performance.” He had the satisfaction of watching the Hoshidan – Tsubaki he though the name was – narrow his eyes and colour slightly.

“Hardly. Your table was the only one with an empty seat and I suddenly quite understand why,” he quipped. He had a nice voice, lovely hair and a very punch-able face. Odd combination.

“Then I'm sure you'll be going,” Niles replied evenly. He couldn't quite decide if he was too drunk for this or not drunk enough.

“I see why you weren't put in charge of anything of import today. Drunk and useless is quite the combination.”

“And what are you in charge of, bonding with your allies?” Niles sneered. “Because you don't seem required to protect your princess at the moment. In fact her table is quite full without you, so it looks like no one even remembered to save you a seat.”

“Actually, I was quite curious to know my Nohrian counterpart. I would say equal but I do seem to outclass you in most ways.”

“Yet you are reduced to a former outlaw's company. If it's to help you feel better about yourself, then congratulations, it sounds like you do.” Niles rested an elbow on the table and leaned on his hand, manners be damned. He made every effort to look perfectly indolent. If this idiot wasn't going to take a hint, then fine. May as well enjoy it.

“You say that as if I can't just walk away. As if I didn't take pity on you by – would you stop that?!”

“Stop what?” Niles asked innocently as he ran his foot up the Hoshidan's leg under the table.

“Touching me like that! Do I look like a girl to you?”

“Pretty much, yes,” Niles said with a leer. “Although I would love it if you decided to prove me wrong.”

Tsubaki awkwardly moved his chair back and Niles could have sworn he heard the words “I am not drunk enough for this” as he stood to leave.

“I'll leave you to your misery then,” he said much louder.

“Oh but misery does love company,” Niles sing-songed. Tsubaki rolled his eyes and walked off.

Niles briefly considered following the sky knight before dismissing the idea. That would likely be considered harassment. And there was absolutely no need to give the Hoshidans any reason to accuse him of anything unsavoury. He had to keep up appearances after all. His mood slightly improved, Niles got up and pulled a passing serving girl onto the dance floor.

 

~~~ 

 

“I'm surprised that you actually spoke to him.” Tsubaki looked up to see the royal diviner, Orochi at his side.

“Why is that?” he asked as his eyes scanned the grand hall. Despite all the reassurances, old habit died hard and he was constantly assessing the guests for threats to the royal family.

“Isn't he the archer that shot you down? I could have sworn it was Leo's second.”

Tsubaki shuddered and tried to force that memory down. His pegasus had been shot in the wing and it was pure luck that Tsubaki had only broken an arm and not a leg or his back. And she had still had to be put down; a pegasus that could not fly would soon waste away. Lady Sakura's healing abilities didn't work as well on animals as they did on people. He had taken a kinshi after that, unable to make himself ride another pegasus. Imperfect sentimentality but there it was.

“I honestly don't know. He didn't bring it up and he seems the type that would,” Tsubaki replied.

“So why did you bother with him anyway?”

“Curiosity. Nohr seems to have a very different idea of what makes a capable retainer. Besides, we need to lead by example. If we can understand each other than the Nohrian and Hoshidan peoples might be more inclined to lose some of their distrust”

“Diplomacy can wait until tomorrow. You could at least try to relax tonight, have some fun. Try to learn the Nohrian style of dancing,” Orochi said with a laugh.

“You know my opinions about making a fool of myself,” he said wryly. He watched as Niles spun a maid around the dance floor, as if there was nothing strange about involving himself with a servant. Then again, as Niles seemed to have few morals, he probably saw nothing strange about reaching outside his rank.

“And do you know what I think is foolish?”

“What?”

“Staring at that Nohrian scoundrel. He has a dark past and his future doesn't look much lighter.” She shook her head almost sadly.

“All that without your cards?”

“He wears darkness like a cloak, more than the other Nohrians. He may be the master of his own downfall sooner rather than later. Almost sad really,” Orochi finished with a sigh.

“Well thank goodness for small mercies,” Tsubaki replied with as much cheer as he could muster.

“You say that now, but I know you Tsubaki. You can never resist a chance to prove yourself, to be the hero. And he is our ally now.”

“Yes Orochi, you have me all figured out,” Tsubaki rolled his eyes.

“If you won't heed the great diviner then that's your own peril. I'm going to ask Kagero to dance.” Orochi suited her words and glided off.

Almost against his will, he went back to watching the Nohrian retainer. He cleaned up well enough that Tsubaki had to admit that he'd be handsome if he wasn't so vile. And missing an eye.

Niles caught Tsubaki staring and blew him a kiss. Tsubaki turned away, red faced and went to find the nearest balcony. He needed air – and distance from the Nohrian. Never had he wanted to throttle someone so much!

 


	2. Disorder

Niles scarcely waited for more than a few minutes after his king and queen had retired for the night to leave the celebration himself. Not to listen in at the doorway and shout encouragement as tradition allowed, but to be responsible, for once. He couldn't have made himself listen anyway; he had a cruel streak and a foul mouth that the queen did not approve of. And he knew enough intimate secrets to make some genuinely crude and embarrassing suggestions. The truth was, it would be painful to listen in on, to compare himself. As masochistic as he was, there were limits.

Using stairways that were normally reserved for the servants, Niles quickly moved deeper into the castle and to the upper floors where the royal retainers lived. It was the easiest route to avoid people and given the celebrations, the castle would be milling about like a kicked anthill until the early hours of the morning. As amusing as it would be to interrupt people having private moments in hidden corners, he wasn't up for it. In truth he was looking forward to going back to a normal return after all the foreign dignitaries had left.

He found the doorway he was looking for with ease. Not bothering to knock he went in. The room had one candle burning on a table across from the bed, where a very dishevelled sorcerer sat staring into it absently. There was a barely touched plate of food on the table and Niles withheld a sigh. Odin was not doing well. It had been months since he battle that had robbed Nohr of two of it's royal family and their retainers but Odin still slipped into melancholy phases. He wasn't over Laslow's death and wasn't likely to ever get over it. He still mostly functioned in his role as a retainer, but when he slipped like this he would go days with barely a spoken word.

Niles grabbed the chair and sat down, waiting for Odin to notice him. The blonde nodded but said nothing. _It might be a favour to both of us to try and seduce him_ , Niles thought, not for the first time. And he discarded the thought again, just as he had every time before.

“You missed the ceremony,” Niles said, eventually.

“No, I was there. I can go unseen when it suits me. I missed the reception.” Every word came slowly as if dragged out, with none of the usual theatrics. Niles had never would have guessed that he missed the over-dramatic way of speaking, the stupid gestures and the emotion, but he did. He shook his head; if he focused on that, he'd end up as melancholy as Odin.

“Leo will probably have words for you in the morning,” he replied. Odin didn't even comment on the lack of title. “And there is the re-swearing of all of the guards and retainers, now that there is queen.”

“I'll be there.”

The silence stretched between them. The candle flickered in a draft. Odin had left his fireplace unlit, even though there was a large pile of wood waiting for use. It wouldn't surprise him if the pile had a layer of dust over it. The room was tidy from what Niles could make out of it, which was also a bad sign; usually it was cluttered with tomes and scrolls and other magical paraphernalia. Odin was as ambitious a mage as Leo and had a unique approach to the magical arts besides.

“Do you need anything?” Niles broke the silence, unable to stand it any longer.

Odin laughed bitterly. “Yes. No. Nothing you can offer,” he replied.

Niles nodded and stood up.

“Laslow always wanted to perform at a wedding.”

Since there was nothing to say to that, Niles left. He passed Selena on the way out, who gave him a disapproving glare before going into Odin's room herself. He couldn't make himself like her, but he hoped that Selena would do Odin some good. He headed back to his own rooms to get some rest and hopefully avoid the headache that was building behind his eye.

 

~~

 

Niles felt lucky that he had been the first retainer to swear himself to the new queen. He now only had to look for threats in the audience. He was not lucky enough to have escaped the headache he had felt building the night before. It throbbed steadily behind both his empty eye socket and his good eye, making him irritable. He was currently resenting the Hoshidans' love of colour; the vibrant reds, bright whites and metallic golds hurt to look at. The darker, washed out colours of Nohr, the deep blues, blacks and greys were easier to absorb. He needed a vulnerary at the least and he regretted leaving one in his room that morning. A full healing by staff would be more efficient but none of the maids or butlers were in much better shape; there were a lot of hung over staff that morning.

He resisted the urge to close his eye and began to scan the balconies that lined the well that was the throne room. An event like this would be ideal for assassins, especially given that other than Camilla's guards who had been on duty last night, hardly anyone else was completely sober and alert. And those balconies often did hide prying eyes if not archers of some skill. Despite Nyx being an outsider and therefor not allied with any noble factions in Nohr, no one of noble birth would consider her neutral. True, it showed that Leo did not favour one family over another in his choice of marriage but outsiders were often met with suspicion. Anyone involved in Nohrian politics was.

Something seemed wrong in the third balcony. Niles couldn't quite place what it was so he signalled Odin, who was blessedly alert, to cover the King and Queen. Another gesture brought the guards a little closer and Niles slipped off. He moved silently through the back hallways and ramps that led up to the balconies. He considered the sword at his side but left it in its sheathe. He pulled his bow from his shoulder, tested the tension slowly and pulled an arrow from his quiver. He didn't knock or draw; only an idiot strained his muscles like that before having to actually take a shot.

He eased the door open and slunk through the hallway on the third floor before coming to the area that had set off alarm bells. There was a curtain partly drawn across the front of the balcony, obscuring the person in it from view. The hallway was otherwise empty. The man had a long bow with an arrow knocked. That was all Niles needed to see. He put the arrow back into his quiver, slowly put his bow on the floor and jumped at the would be assassin. Faster than the man could react, Niles had him up against the wall, disarmed, with his arms pulled painfully behind his back. He knocked the man's head into the wall hard enough to stun him and grabbed the rope that he kept at his belt.

Within minutes the man was gagged and artfully tied. He looked the man over with a critical eye; he took pride in his knot work. This would hold him for hours so long as no one came to free him. Niles hoped that Odin had the presence of mind to send some guards up. Even if he didn't he could signal him easily enough from the window.

Niles looked over his prisoner. Nohrian clothes, a Hoshidan longbow, and a face that could belong to the slums of either country. He took the pouches off the mans belt and emptied them onto the floor. A vulnerary, two extra bowstrings, some twine, a half eaten chunk of cheese and twenty gold coins made up the contents. Probably only a down payment; otherwise that was a pathetically low sum for an assassination. Or the man had the rest of his coin hidden away elsewhere. The dagger at the man's belt was old and pitted and probably more useful for slicing bread and cheese than it would be on human flesh. The bow was in good shape; the wood was smooth and the grip was a little worn from use. The arrows were of Hoshidan length to match the bow but boasted broad heads for punching through armour. Niles sniffed at them and noticing the faint acrid scent, he moved them aside. They were very likely poisoned.

He sat on his heels and thought it all over. If this had succeeded all anyone would have seen was the Hoshidan arrow shaft. That broad head suggested that either King Leo or Lady Camilla were the target, not Queen Nyx. Or perhaps Lady Corrin, as she had arrived with the Hoshidans and there were many strong opinions regarding her, despite Leo granting her a very public pardon. Either way, this was meant to sew dissension between the allied kingdoms. Neither King would be pleased.

Niles stood up and heard foot steps. He had his own bow in hand with an arrow knocked before he saw the guard enter.

“King Leo wants you to bring the prisoner to the map room,” he said and Niles nodded lowered his weapon.

“Get me an escort and we'll have him awaiting the King's pleasure in no time.”

The guard nodded and retreated.

“You better hope that the King is merciful,” Niles said to the prisoner. “If not, you and I will be spending a lot of time together.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the main relationship building is coming, I just needed to set up some context first.


	3. Abandoned

 

Niles sat at the back of the large meeting room, rubbing his temple. That headache had materialized in full force after the excitement had died down.

It had taken less than a few minutes at Leo's hands to determine that whoever had hired the assassin was smart. The man was a mute and no information could be gotten from him. Oh, Niles still intended to spend an hour making him scream, but information was no longer the point. The Hoshidans were not eager to be party to torture however; Niles had gained some very pointed looks on the matter. Harsh lessons tended to dissuade people from making similar mistakes. This wasn't the first attempt on Leo's life, not since Niles had become his retainer and not even this year; there would be more. That was a fact in Nohrian politics. You held the throne through cunning, force and in the case of better leaders, by building up the populace and giving them something to believe in. In the worst, it mean being willing to stoop to assassination, kidnapping and changing the law to suit your purposes. Or in Garon's case, it had meant ignoring it all together. The less people trying to kill his king, the better.

“The real question is,” King Ryouma was saying, “why did no one hear of this sooner? We both have our information networks,” that with a glance at his retainer, Saizou, “and not even a whisper before now.”

“That is quite simple, darling,” Camilla purred from across the room. “The war has made the allegiances of Niles and my dearest Beruka too publicly known. And it hasn't made our family anymore popular. The result is less people willing to share information, however good our gold may be.”

“They may have no love of us, but they'll have no love for Hoshidans either,” snapped Selena. Camilla patted her hair soothingly; she didn't tend to approve of outbursts like that but the point was plain truth. The Hoshidans shifted uncomfortably, whether at the words or Camilla's open affections, hardly mattered. Camilla was very doting and such open displays bothered most people.

“The other question is, will this happen again?” Hinoka asked.

Niles snorted and caught a couple of annoyed glances. He had been largely silent while the argument about what to do went on, after his comments about torture had been refuted.

“It's Nohr. Many of the bad things you believed of us during the war, if you don't still believe them, are true. There will be assassination attempts for the rest of his life; for the rest of Lady Camilla's as well and for the lives of any heirs they may have.”

“Added protection may be in order then. Especially since the assassin was meant to sew distrust by the very way he was attired,” Ryouma mused.

Niles glanced at Leo who had managed to keep his face smooth and expression calm throughout the discussion. Whether Ryouma had meant it or not, he had delivered quite the insult both to Leo, his retainers and the castle guard. Implying that they needed Hoshidan help to stay safe in Nohr! Leo shook his head and Niles swallowed his retort. He was swallowing a lot of those lately.

“My security is well handled,” was all he said. Ryouma inclined his head slightly; he'd let it pass, for now. Which meant he had another point of contention that he would not stand down on later. All of this politicking was not helping his head ache; Niles closed his eye and went back to rubbing his temples.

“The best we can do is refuse to allow dissension to be sewn,” Leo continued. “We will proceed as planned, draw up our treaties and continue to do our best to foster understanding and amiable relations amongst our peoples.”

“Perhaps the best way to do that is to have official dignitaries for both kingdoms in residence,” Camilla said.

“An exchange of customs and ideas is the best way to foster understanding. And trust. Both of which are needful,” Nyx said as if she was thinking out loud. Niles wouldn't be surprised if she and Camilla had cooked this plan up between them.

“What are you suggesting?” Ryouma asked as he set back.

“Well our darling Corrin is already living amongst you, as is her knight Silas. They know and understand Nohrian culture, law and the hardships our people face and they are willing to share that with you. They act as a good bridge between Hoshido and Nohr. Perhaps a Hoshidan or two staying as official envoys in Nohr for a time would be able to serve the same function for us.”

“Corrin and Silas are not officially in those positions,” Ryouma pointed out.

“But they are eager to see peace between the realms and get on well with the Hoshidan populace,” Camilla pointed out. “Making it official will change little in their lives and in fact honour them further.” Oh she definitely did have this planned. Niles stole a glance at Leo whose face wore an expression of idle curiosity. Hard to tell if he had known.

“Of course,” Camilla went on. “Dignitaries of this nature would have position and respect in both kingdoms and come and go as often as business required. After a suitable learning period; I know that Corrin and Silas have a lot to learn about Hoshido and any Hoshidans that were appointed here would require some time to learn and adjust as well. And we would care for their safety just as much as you do for Corrin's.”

Niles expected that bringing up Corrin would start yet another argument; the stolen princess was still a bone of contention. And rather unpopular in Nohr; she was blamed as often for the crown prince's death as the Hoshidan king was. Instead the room was oddly quiet while these points were considered. He glanced around and caught the expressions in the room, ranging from thoughtful to annoyed.

“Is-is there anyone that you had in m-mind?” The youngest princess asked.

“I think volunteers would be best or those that you think would benefit from it most,” Camilla replied. “If the kings agree of course.” Which simply implied that there were those who could only make the situation worse. Not every Hoshidan had been on their best behaviour during this visit.

“We'll have to talk this over,” Ryouma said. “While I do see the value there are those that I cannot spare right now.” He glanced at his present siblings; Takumi was looking after Corrin, who was also not present for this meeting. Hinoka shook her head; her retainers had distinct reputations. It would be dangerous to leave the one and insulting to leave the other.

The youngest princess looked up at her retainers before turning to Tsubaki. She said something so quiet that the rest of the room missed it but Tsubaki's expression told it all. Niles snickered from across the room. This could be good.

 

\---

 

“My lady are you sure?” Tsubaki asked, barely keeping his voice low. Sakura had asked him to stay behind. She was going to leave him behind in this depressing castle, without any allies. She was going to leave Hana in charge of her security and he would be here, forgotten. He fought to keep his face smooth and to force down the rising panic.

“Y-you don't have to if you don't want to. But Tsubaki you are well mannered, a-a fast learner and I don't think anyone else would represent us so well. I-I'll miss you, of course I will! But Hana is capable enough and we are no longer at war. I would like you to do this for me. Please.”

Normally the praise would have raised his spirits. He was being asked to stay because he was too good at everything, because he learned too quickly. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry but he was determined to do neither. He had to admit that he didn't like Nohr, he didn't like the perpetual clouds and rain and he didn't trust these people, allies or not. But his lady obviously did trust them and more importantly she trusted him.

“If you're not up to it...” Hana left the barb hanging and Tsubaki fought down a flare of temper. They got on well enough these days but Hana would always be competitive. He was half tempted to let her take his place but he knew that she would never let him forget that she took this assignment because he _could not_. That would be completely insufferable.

“I will be the perfect guest and envoy,” Tsubaki said, loud enough to be heard by the rest of the room. King Ryouma nodded in approval and Sakura absolutely beamed at him.

“You won't last a month,” Niles said from across the room. King Leo gave him a look that he completely ignored. “Hoshidans don't survive long in this climate.”

“Niles,” Leo said warningly.

“Never mind that there are those all too eager to pick off a stray Hoshidan if they can. Not everyone has accepted that the war has ended,” the rogue continued.

“I can endure anything that you can,” Tsubaki replied. “With ease.”

“We will show them otherwise,” Leo said at the same time. He shot both men a very irritated look; he did not enjoy being talked over. “And since you are so concerned for our guest's safety, you now have charge of it Niles.”

Tsubaki's smile slipped and Niles turned to stare at his king.

“Your majesty, my primary concern is your safety. I don't have time to keep him safe as well,” Niles objected formally.

“Odin will do fine so long as I am in the castle. He needs something more to focus on right now. You can maintain your usual patrols and other duties while serving as a guide to our guest.” He paused to let the finality of his tone sink in. “I also do not need to remind you that neither myself nor my Queen are defenseless.”

“I would never suggest that,” Niles replied quietly.

“I know.” Leo's expression softened. “You will be on your best behaviour then?”

“Of course.” Niles stood and bowed. Tsubaki was surprised not to see a shred of mockery in it.

“Is there anyone else that will be staying? It might help to have a familiar face around,” Hinoka suggested.

“My lord, if I may?” Orochi asked suddenly.

“Orochi?”

“I might be needed here,” she said with a shrug. “Besides, I would like the chance to study Nohrian magic and divination.”

Ryouma didn't ask outright if Orochi had foreseen something but he seemed to take her reply as a matter of course and nodded his assent. Tsubaki was somewhere between perplexed and relieved. He wouldn't be alone here. But if he made a mistake here Orochi would make sport of him for a while.  A long while. At least she wasn't malicious, he reminded himself. Just troublesome.

Tsubaki looked over at Kagero; the ninja's expression was unruffled. Orochi volunteering was not a surprise to her then. That was interesting. He'd ask about it later.

“If that's settled, then we can work it into one of the treaties on trade and representation,” King Leo said, redirecting the group back to business. As talks resumed, Tsubaki glanced across the room at Niles, who was to be his guide. The fact was about as reassuring as the way that Niles was looking at him, sizing him up as if deciding where to cut. He found himself praying that the next few months would go very quickly indeed.

 


	4. Leave taking

Tsubaki stood at the bridge across the Bottomless Canyon, holding the reigns of a horse he had been lent from King Leo's stable. His Kinshi was in Lady Hinoka's hands; she would escort the mount back to Hoshido to wait for him. Kinshi didn't fly well in the rain and it would be unfair to leave the creature cooped up for weeks at time. Watching it recede with the rest of the Hoshidans on the other side of the bridge didn't help his spirits. He was really staying in Nohr. He was really stuck with this. He would do his duty, diligently and without outward complaint. As he always did. He was who he was after all. But his heart twisted all the same. No matter how many campaigns he had been on, no matter how many battles fought, he still wanted to be at home. Familiarity and routine were a great comfort.

He stood watching until they were out of sight on the mountain path across the canyon. The Nohrian escort began to turn back behind him but he couldn't help but linger. Footsteps beside him made him straighten up. He had almost forgotten his guide for a moment. Almost. Keeping his face smooth he turned to Niles and spoke before the Nohrian retainer could insult him.

“If you're ready we can go now?” He barely hid a grin at Niles' scowl; likely he had planned to say something along those same lines.

“Whenever you get on your high horse, we can leave,” came the retort. Niles mounted quickly if with little grace; it was obvious that he did not spend much time in the saddle. His posture made it equally obvious to an experienced horseman that he would be quite stiff if not sore by the time they made the ten day journey back to Windmire.

“What are you staring at?” Niles snapped.

“Oh nothing. You might want to drop your heels and bring your elbows in though,” Tsubaki said pleasantly as he swung gracefully into the saddle. Niles' expression did not lighten at the critique. He turned his horse sharply and Tsubaki winced as he followed. They would need to get a less harsh bit for Niles' horse if he rode that aggressively; the last thing he wanted to see was a fine horse's mouth ruined.

He fell into line beside Niles who remained blessedly silent. It seemed that he required most of his concentration to stay steady on his horse; the rest was spent eyeing the trail and sky. Just because peace had come between Nohr and Hoshido didn't mean there weren't bandits, thieves or rebels to be wary of. Odd that Hoshido would have supported those rebels a year ago and now they were a common enemy.

They kept on quietly into the afternoon, the rest of the escort ahead, Tsubaki and Niles bringing up the rear. It was a small escort, only twenty-five men and women all told, and wonder of wonders they all took instruction from Niles, while also seeming to respect him. These were men who had been under Leo's command in the war, the best he could trust. The rain started towards sundown, or what counted for such here. He hadn't seen the sun all day, just thick clouds. Niles simply pulled up his hood and kept going. There was a village up ahead and they'd rather risk the wet along the way than miss out on an inn and a hot meal. Tsubaki would rather have found whatever shelter they could to wait this out; he didn't have a hood and his clothes were soaking through faster than he had thought possible.

By the time the village was in sight, Tsubaki was just short of miserable. The wind had picked up as full dark fell and he was doing everything he could to keep from shaking. His hair kept dripping into his eyes and there was a constant stream of water going down his back. He hoped that his change of clothes in his saddle bags were still dry but he didn't dare open them and look.

Tsubaki was relieved to see the group pass an inn whose name made him blush. Niles kept on straight ahead but a few of the soldiers looked back with regret. He wasn't sure what he expected but if Niles was picking their resting spot, he kept his hopes in check; the man had a reputation and it wouldn't surprise him if Niles picked a lower establishment just to rile Tsubaki.

They stopped at a three story inn that looked in need of a coat of paint, at the least. The stone was smoothed by years of wind and rain and Tsubaki hoped that the roof didn't leak. A warm fire and a bath would go a long way, but he didn't expect much. Bath houses weren't a Nohrian preference and despite the mountains, there were no hot springs to speak of. Likely he had a wash basin and cold water to look forward to.

He dismounted easily and had the satisfaction of watching Niles drop to his feet and almost fall in the mud. Tsubaki grabbed his saddle bags as some men came into the yard to take the horses away. He did have some ointment on hand for injuries that would help with saddle soreness. Perhaps he'd take pity on his host.

Soon enough they were inside a rowdy common room, while Niles spoke to the proprietor and negotiated the fare. A pair of women came over and began to answer questions from the soldiers. Most were interested in a hot meal and walked to the other end of the common room at a nod from the maid. Seeing that the proprietor and Niles were still talking, they turned their attention to Tsubaki after exchanging hurried whispers.

“Oh sweetie, you're right drenched,” the younger of the two said. As if he wasn't aware. “That complexion of yours is going to get ruined in the rain. Let's get you cleaned up. I know just the thing to get some colour back into your cheeks.”

He glanced at Niles who simply gestured that Tsubaki should go on, then promptly continued to ignore him. He shrugged and turned back to the maids.

“If there is a place I can get cleaned up, that would be appreciated,” he said as politely as possible. The one who had spoken jumped and the other one burst out laughing. Tsubaki stared open mouthed until it clicked what had happened. They thought he was a woman! He could never understand how Nohrians always made that mistake; were there no men as finely featured as he was? King Leo was quite delicate yet he never seemed to have this problem.

“Follow me,” the other maid said when she'd stopped laughing. “Cici here never did believe that Hoshidans were so pretty, and now she knows better. I can take you to a bathing room and get your clothes dried for you. You do have a change of course?”

He simply nodded and followed her down a hallway towards the back of the room. She continued her chatter until they got to a room that had half a dozen bath tubs in a sloped room. He saw a drain at the other end for easy clean up. The tubs themselves were smaller than those in the palace but they would do for the moment. Each tub had a nearby table meant for holding the bather's belongings. The maids began to pump water and he set his things down.

After a few minutes it became apparent that they weren't leaving, Tsubaki tried to ignore them as he undressed and got into the tub as quickly as possible. Cici picked up his wet clothes to make good on the promise of drying them but the other maid simply walked over and picked up the soap and a scrub brush.

“I can manage, thank you!” Tsubaki said quickly, hoping his blush could be mistaken as a reaction to the hot water. She simply laughed and took a seat by the door. He sighed and set about cleaning as quickly as possible. At least when this was done he had a warm meal and a bed to himself to look forward to.

 

~~~

 

As Tsubaki took a seat across from Niles at the only table with room in the common room, he learned that he had been mistaken.

“Turns out the weather has a couple of merchant caravans stuck in town. Drank too much last night and didn't leave early enough in the day,” he grimaced over his stew. “The place is full to the eaves and everyone has to double up. You better not snore.”

“You mean to tell me that I am going to share a room with you?”

“Yes, and a bed. Not the way I planned on getting you there but here it is,” Niles said sarcastically.

Tsubaki ignored the barb. “Is there nowhere else we could look to stay?”

“If I took you into the Long Knight's Ride, you'd be eaten alive. This town isn't big enough for another inn.”

“Well I just hope you can keep your elbows to yourself,” Tsubaki replied. He started in on his dinner in the hopes that Niles would miss the blush on his face. What a crude name! Nohrians had a decidedly dark streak.

“Elbows sure. And given the king's orders, hands too. I'm surprised you didn't fight this a little harder though.”

Tsubaki swallowed another spoonful to buy himself time to reply. He should have argued more, insisted that one of them take the floor. Why hadn't he? He didn't trust Niles. The only thing he respected about the man was his devotion to his king. Perhaps that was enough.

“I can adapt to less than ideal circumstances,” he said instead. He kept his face pleasant, watched Niles' scowl deepen and went back to his meal. The bath and the stew had lifted his spirits a bit, however odd it had been.

He retired soon after he had finished and Niles followed close on his heels. Apparently the singing woman in the common room was not the sort of entertainment he favoured. There were better singers in Hoshido and probably Nohr too.

As soon as he saw the room, Tsubaki was relieved that he hadn't argued. There was barely walking room between the small fire place, the drying rack that held his clothes, the stand and washbasin and the bed. The bed itself looked as if it would barely hold two people but there was certainly no room on the floor. At least the blankets looked thick and the pillows plump. He heard the latch click as Niles turned the lock on the door followed by the rustle of clothes being discarded. Abashed to be changing in front of someone he disliked, Tsubaki kept his back turned to Niles and removed only his tunic. He tried to convince himself that he did not feel the other man's eyes on his neck and only turned around once he no longer heard any sound behind him.

On the one hand, he was glad that Niles had retained his small clothes, even though pants would have been better. On the other, the sheer mass of scars criss-crossing the man's torso were enough to make him stare. Two scars near his shoulder looked like the remains of arrow wounds or crossbow quarrels. There was an oddly healed burn on the right side that could only have been caused by magic and several long thin scars all over that would have been caused by swords or daggers. The fact that he had scars at all meant that he had almost been past healing whenever a mage had found him. How many wounds had he taken that had left no mark? How many were from the war?

“Didn't think I was your type,” Niles quipped. Something in his expression suggested a certain awkwardness. He wasn't used to being appraised like this.

“I don't have a type,” Tsubaki replied absently. Pity won out and he reached into his saddlebag for the ointment that he kept there.

“Oh and what have we here?”

“I don't even want to know what you think this is. It happens to be an ointment –“ he broke off as Niles snickered. “For sore muscles and saddle sores,” he finished as he fixed the man with a glare. “Since you seem to lack experience riding, I thought I'd offer it to you.”

“I appreciate you trying to butter me up, pretty, but I don't need any Hoshidan coddling.” Niles moved past Tsubaki and claimed the spot on the bed closest to the wall. “I have no problems watching you rub yourself though.”

“Are you always this crass?” Tsubaki demanded as he put the vial away.

“What can I say? You bring something out in me.”

“You know what? Just go to bed.”

“As soon as you join me. Or are you going to attempt the floor?”

Tsubaki grimaced. The floor near the fireplace was a lot more tempting than it had been ten minutes ago. But if he turned the wrong way he'd light his hair on fire. And he'd be dirtier in the morning than when he arrived.

“Just move over.”

 


	5. Homeward

Niles found it nigh impossible to get comfortable that night. For one thing, the bed really was not made for two people unless they were sleeping half on top of the other. And Tsubaki did not want to be touched. There was no room to leave a rolled up blanket between them. The only consolation was that the soldiers were sleeping three to a room. For another, he was stuck between Tsubaki and the wall with no real room to turn or adjust when his arm fell asleep. And the wall was cold; there was no window on that side but the occupants of the room next door obviously had yet to lay a fire. Lastly was Tsubaki himself. He looked better lacking a shirt than Niles had expected. Hardly a scar to mar his pale skin and the two he saw were so faint that he wasn't entirely sure that they were there at all. That red hair unbound, falling damply around pale shoulders...

He was also absolutely infuriating. Niles wanted nothing more than to slap that look of pity off the man's face. And then smash that perfect face into a wall. It didn't matter that his legs ached from the ride, he did not need his help! He wasn't so dainty that a little ache would debilitate him.

And the other man actually seemed to think he was in charge! Worse, Niles having to follow after him seemed to enforce that notion. Orochi had stayed behind at the castle and Tsubaki had been invited to do the same. No need to take an unnecessary trip. But he had insisted and so Niles had to go as well, pulled away from his king for two weeks already and another ten days if the weather let up. If not it would be longer. And Niles was pledged to look after him. As if he didn't have more important things to do! Nohr's slave traders wouldn't arrest themselves, assassins would be stupid not take his absence as an opportunity and who knew what the other foolish nobles would do to make life difficult for Leo.

Too many nights on the streets kept Niles from grinding his teeth. He was generally silent once he laid himself down for the night; being able to hear people when he couldn't see them had saved his life more than once. Being a light sleeper and being able to avoid being heard had always helped too.

He tried to get comfortable again and ended up with his arms bent in front of him, resting against Tsubaki's back. The man didn't move or make a noise, so he was either resigned or asleep. Niles relaxed his posture, and felt comfortable enough for the moment. He tried to calm his thoughts the way Leo had taught him – he said it helped to minimize nightmares and fall asleep faster – but he soon found the heat of the other man's body to be... distracting. His skin was quite soft, yet there was firm muscle underneath. And he did smell quite nice. Not his usual scent but still floral, airy. And his damp red hair glowed in the light of the tiny fire. He fought down a strong temptation to kiss the back of the sky knight's neck, to run his hands over his shoulders, pepper his skin with bite marks...

 _I must be getting needy if he's getting to me like this_ , Niles thought. But then again how long had it been since he had been with anyone at all? Months, really. Niles had never been chaste before Leo; he had moved from one night stand to one night stand easily enough, without a care for who he had slept with or why they had decided to sleep with him. If anyone were to ask how old he was when he had lost his virginity, he wouldn't have been able to give an accurate answer. And as much as he enjoyed the thrill, the _release,_ he craved touch, that momentary feeling of being _wanted_ , most of all. The moments after, being dazed and content in someone's arms; that was worth more than the act itself. Even the moments leading up, the moments of exploration of another's body, caresses, tracing the lines of a face, the simple affection... The more he thought about it the more starved he felt. And he could just steal a few of those touches if Tsubaki were really asleep...

And yet, as much as he wanted to see where things went, he had given his word. He had learned the importance of keeping his word a long time ago. He would not ruin things for his king by embarrassing him. He sighed, pushed his back against the cold wall and tried to calm his mind again. It was going to be a _very_ long night.

 

~~~

 

Tsubaki woke the next morning unsure of where he was. It took a minute to remember that he was in a rather sparsely appointed inn; nothing like the places they had stopped on the way to see the other Hoshidans home. But they were taking the fastest route back and with no guests of importance he had ended up here. In a very small bed, with Niles of all people.

The other man was pressed against Tsubaki, an arm draped over him. It seemed that Niles had either reneged on his promise or was a clingy sleeper. Given that his head was also resting against Tsubaki's shoulder, he assumed the second. He sincerely hoped that Niles hadn't drooled on him. That just was not how he wanted to start the day.

Trying to extricate himself from the other man's grasp brought a low groan that gave Tsubaki pause. Nightmare or the type of dream that he would rather not know about? Or just responding to the sudden movement? He tried to pull away again and Niles' grip on him tightened. The white haired man said something unintelligible followed by the name Leo. He was holding Tsubaki like this while dreaming of another man! Not that he wanted Niles to think of him that way but there was the principle of the thing! And his king no less! The man had no shame.

He pulled away harder and Niles shot awake. He got out of bed and stared Niles down for a moment, while trying to decide what to say. Niles was glaring back, his eye full of challenge, daring Tsubaki to say something.

“We better not be stuck here another night,” Tsubaki said at last. Niles' posture relaxed and he nodded. Tsubaki tried to suppress a chill as a draft from the small window hit him. He turned and tried to coax some life back into the fire. Failing that, he decided to put some clothes on. Niles remained silent while Tsubaki dressed, which suited him just fine. He dug his brush and mirror out of his saddle bag and began to remove the tangles from his hair.

“I'm not sure why you're complaining,” Niles said suddenly, making Tsubaki jump. “You hogged the bed the entire night and kept pressing yourself against me.”

Tsubaki turned with a pointed, “pardon?”

“I'm not complaining but for someone who wanted space you didn't give me any.”

“Which is why you had your arm around me and your head practically on my shoulder?” Tsubaki snapped back, brush motionless in his hand.

“It made you stop moving around so much in your sleep,” Niles replied. He had that troublesome smirk that Tsubaki hated. “I do wonder what you could have been dreaming of.”

“I wonder what was going through your mind this morning when you groaned your king's name,” Tsubaki practically yelled back. He took a deep breath and then another. He did not lose his temper like this but Niles surely brought the worst out of him. He furiously returned to brushing his hair while Niles sat there, open mouthed and staring.

“Mad that I wasn't dreaming of you?” Niles eventually replied. His voice had that cruel note in it that meant nothing good was coming. “It must be quite the blow to your ego, thinking yourself so perfect only to find out that no one gives you a second thought. To be so unwanted and unapproachable must really make you question your own delusions.”

“The opinion of the lowest of the Nohrian scum is supposed to affect me?”

“We both know that the only reason you were left behind is because you are disposable. You can be done without.”

“You keep on believing that,” Tsubaki replied, refusing to let Niles know that he had hit one of his insecurities. He pulled his hair back into his usual high ponytail and headed for the door. “I'm going to have breakfast. Do let me know when we'll be moving on.” He left quickly and if the door slammed it was purely accidental.

 

~~~

 

Niles sat staring at the door for a few long moments trying to process what had just happened. He wasn't sure who had won that exchange. Or what had spurred both of their tempers so quickly. He had to grudgingly admit that he appreciated that Tsubaki had some spirit; he might be better suited to his job than Niles originally gave him credit for. That same spirit was likely to make Niles' own job more difficult. He grunted at the thought and began to search for his clothes. He listened at the window and was relieved to hear that the rain had let up. At least they'd be getting out of here today. As soon as the rest of the escort sobered up and had had something to eat. Even the best soldiers would not turn down a chance to drink.

He threw his clothes on and ran a comb through his curls until they were somewhat tamed. He splashed some water onto his face and glanced around the room. He picked up and moved a couple of Tsubaki's things for the sole purpose of annoying the finicky sky knight and left the room. It was completely petty but he didn't care.

He went and checked the rooms of the rest of the soldiers; half of them were already up and presumably having a bite to eat in the common room. The rest he roused and told to be ready in an hour. Niles then went in search of the innkeeper to make the other half of their payment for the night. Responsibilities seen to, he went in search of a quick meal and a table to himself.

The argument with Tsubaki nagged at him while he ate a bowl of porridge that had slivers of dried apple in it. He could have sworn that he had hit a nerve at the end there but after the one scandalized outburst, Tsubaki had been cool as ice. He was almost certain that Tsubaki had been jealous too... and yet the way he had stared down at Niles when he first got out of bed, as if he were disgusted by his proximity didn't square with that. That look was what had riled him up in the first place; he was sick of the Hoshidan and his reputation for perfection, of the way he looked down on everyone as if they were nothing.

But then again, Tsubaki was of noble birth. And aside from Leo, no noble had every really looked at Niles as if he wasn't something they had stepped in. Some of them managed to hide it better than others, but he knew what they thought of him. And he had only just managed to gain Camilla's grudging respect if not her patience or affection.

As frustrating as it all was, he wasn't out to prove anything. He just wanted to do his job and do it well enough that Leo would not be embarrassed by him. And yet Tsubaki made him feel like he had to. Not to win his approval but simply to knock Tsubaki off of his high horse and admit that he was human, just like the rest of them.

Another thought hit him; Tsubaki had been annoyed that Niles had slept so close – like there was another option in a bed of that size – but he hadn't outright accused Niles of anything untoward. He breathed a sigh of relief at that. Tsubaki had really only complained about the lack of space after Niles had. Was that to save face or was it something that would have happened anyways?

Which brought him to the thought that he was trying to avoid; the redhead had felt good in his arms, back pressed against him, hair tickling his face. But then, he thought cruelly, he had liked the feel of a great many people against him without actually liking any of them. Tsubaki irritated him and that wasn't quite the style of torment that he was into. And the man was far to prissy for what Niles would prefer to do to him. Best to keep his distance, keep driving a wedge between them and keep things professional. Tsubaki would be going back to Hoshido at the first opportunity; the way he had stared longingly at the Hoshidans as they disappeared into the distance was proof enough of that. He knew better than to think with his smaller head and he wasn't so desperate as all that. Nodding to himself, he finished his meal and stood up. He wanted the horses tacked up and the supply horse packed and ready to go sooner rather than later. He wanted to go home.

 

~~~

 

The second Tsubaki was sure that Niles wasn't coming directly into the common room, he finished his meal and headed back upstairs. He wanted to have everything ready to go when the time came; he would not give Niles a reason to reproach him. He was also avoiding the other man until he absolutely had to be in his company. Which he knew would not be for very long but he would take all the peace that he could get.

He was irritated to find his things had been moved and that his change of clothes were precariously close to the dying fire. If this wasn't the most childish thing he had seen, it was definitely close. He gathered his things and repacked his saddle bags meticulously, making sure that he had everything he had come in with and that everything was put in its proper place. Once he was sure that he had everything, he went down to the stable.

Even though the horse was on loan from the king's stable, Tsubaki always wanted to be sure of his mount's comfort and he preferred to groom and tack it up himself. A rider had a duty to care for his animal and he took pride in doing so. There was also something soothing about the process. It was a comforting routine. He approached the chestnut horse he had been lent quietly, a hand held out. The horse looked up from her water bucket, dripping all the while and whinnied a greeting.

“Hello Dagmara,” he said, still finding the old Nohrian name difficult on his tongue. He found a lead line and clipped it to her halter and led her into the aisle. A moment of searching found a hoof pick, a hard brush and a soft one. A few of the stable boys gave him odd looks but he ignored them and went about his work. He checked all four hooves and found that they were clean and the shoes were in good shape. Patting the horse and talking quietly all the while, he ran the hard brush over her in quick circular motions. He lost himself in the work, in the simple mechanical motions that kept him from thinking too much.

He was just about finished when a noise at his shoulder made him jump.

“So this is where you ran off to. At least you're ready to leave.”

“Whenever the rest of you are,” Tsubaki replied as sweetly as he could manage as he straightened from his task. Niles rewarded him with a grunt and walked over to his sandy horse. Within moments the rest of the escort was assembled in the stable yard. A few coins were given to the stable boys, and then they were on the road.

The weather remained cold but cloudy; a nice day by Nohrian standards. The group was soon riding away from the small town and back through the foothills away from the mountains. It would be a few more days through the foothills and then skirting forest and the open spaces between villages. If they made it to a village before nightfall there was hope of an inn; if not, they would be camping. Which wasn't too different from being on campaign. It would be more comfortable if his travelling companions were the least bit sociable, but no one felt like talking and Tsubaki gave up after the third attempt.

The first day ended with them taking shelter under an overhang in the rocky foothills. A fire was set up, guards were assigned a rotation that Tsubaki was irritated to be spared from and camp was set up with quiet efficiency. No one said more than necessary, not even Niles. As much as he had planned to ignore Niles, being ignored in turn was uncomfortable.

The second day followed the pattern of the first; up early, a quick breakfast and then riding at a pace that wouldn't ruin the horses until they found a sheltered spot for the night. The third followed the second with the only real change being in slightly warmer weather and the appearance of sparse forest. The fourth brought thicker woods and Tsubaki was wondering if he could actually die of boredom as they rode.

No one had spoke more than necessary for days and Niles' brooding silence was getting to him. The barely changing landscape gave little to look at and when he offered to scout ahead or behind Niles merely cut him off with a “no” and sent someone else instead. He should have been happy for the quiet uneasy peace but instead it just made him irritable. He was beginning to think he had offended the other man worse than intended. He wasn't sure how – Niles was the most offensive person he had ever met – but despite having done nothing wrong, he was considering an apology if only to end the silent treatment. Or conceding this round to the other man. But admitting he had lost to Niles in any way grated on him. He sighed and tried to think of a peace offering. If he could take the high road perhaps they could come to a more comfortable peace between them.

 

~~~

 

Niles was beginning to worry when the pair of scouts he had sent out hadn't returned. He glanced at the light coming through the clouds; a few more minutes and he'd send a runner looking. He was probably jumping at shadows but he wanted to be sure. Either that or Tsubaki's almost constant glaring at his back was finally getting to him. Three and a half days of that was enough to drive most men crazy.

He glanced over at the subject of his irritation and noticed a movement in the trees behind him. He had enough time to process what that movement was, enough time to think _I hate doing this_ , and kick his feet free of his stirrups. He dropped the reigns and his horse came to a stand still as he vaulted off the animal and knocked the Hoshidan off of his horse and to the ground. The first arrows flew harmlessly above them as they hit the ground, the wind knocked out of them both.

“Ambush!” he yelled as soon as he had breath in his lungs. He rolled off of the Hoshidan and onto his feet and made for his horse. The animal was trained to stand still when its' reigns were dropped and he was still in the same spot, despite the commotion around him. Niles grabbed his horse bow and a handful of arrows which he stuck point down in the ground. He soon found the brigands that had attacked them and started to pick off targets, one by one.

Seven of his soldiers were dead on the ground and soon five brigands joined them. There were at least a dozen brigands still alive when Niles ran out of arrows. Tsubaki was holding his own with the Hoshidan long bow that he had insisted on bringing with him. Niles could count only eight of his soldiers still in sight; he had to assume that the rest were dead, captured or fled. He sighed and drew his sword; he wasn't great with the thing but Leo had insisted that he learn to use it.

In a few quick movements he was keeping the remaining brigands from closing on Tsubaki, the dead and the dying ignored as they fell around him. At last there was no one left alive aside from the two of them and his horse, Arrow. He turned to say something to the sky knight when he felt something slam into his shoulder. Pain bloomed in an almost familiar way and he staggered. He might have yelled, he wasn't sure. An arrow shot by his head and then there was silence. Niles staggered, and caught himself on a nearby tree.

He closed his eye and sunk to his knees. He raised his good arm to his shoulder; an arrow head protruded just under the collar bone. He had forgotten just how badly being shot _hurt_.

“Son of a rutting whore,” he cursed between ragged breaths. He kept right on cursing, each curse becoming more colourful as he went.

“You need a healer,” came Tsubaki's clear voice from somewhere above him.

“How...observant,” Niles said with his teeth clenched. “Seeing as we d-don't have one, I need this arrow t-taken out.”

“You'll bleed out without a healer,” Tsubaki explained patiently.

“Can't ride... like this,” he said, his vision blurring slightly. That was bad. “Cut the end with the fl-fletching off. Tie the front. Pull out,” he panted. “Vulnerary... saddle bags.” Niles felt more than heard Tsubaki stand motionless for a moment and then move away. A minute later there was a brushing of hands at his belt. Right, he had rope there. He tried to make one of his usual comments but his mouth wouldn't form the words. That was definitely bad. He felt movement at his shoulder and another jolt of pain shot through him. Niles let out a growl and felt Tsubaki move back in surprise.

“I need to touch the arrow in order to get it out,” he heard faintly, as if the words came to him through water. He thought he heard something else, some sort of instructions but his mind couldn't process it. A pause in the movements and then pressure on his other shoulder – a foot? – before a rush of pain, worse than before. He did yell that time, unable to hold it back. A hand came down over his mouth and he bit it instinctively. He opened his eye to see Tsubaki glaring at him.

“We don't know if those bandits are going to come back or not, so you need to keep quiet,” the other man practically hissed at him. “Can you do that?”

 _No_ , Niles thought. He nodded anyway.  Tsubaki moved his hand away.

“Now do you want to drink this or put it directly on the wounds?”

“Wounds. Need 'em closed. Other things'll wait,” he slurred. He felt his shirt being undone and a moment later he felt the icy cold of the healing mixture on his shoulder. A hand pushed gently so that Niles was leaning forward and the remainder of the vulnerary was applied to his back. He leaned back against the tree and closed his eye, breathing shallowly. In a few minutes he'd be able to assess the damage and they could move on. It'd be better if he could sleep but they couldn't remain at the site of the ambush.

Once his breathing had slowed and he was sure of his feet, he pulled himself up. Tsubaki put a steadying hand on his good shoulder and Niles instinctively swatted it away. He turned to look at his overeager helper and got a good look at him for the first time since the battle started.

“You look like shit,” he said before he could stop himself. Tsubaki's hair was in complete disarray and there were slash marks on his thigh and near his ribs. His hands were bloody and there was a blood stain on his chest that gave Niles pause until he realised that it was _his own blood_ on the other man. It must have spurted when he removed the arrow. There was a bruise on his cheek, probably from when Niles had knocked him off his horse.

“I didn't just nearly die,” Tsubaki replied primly. Niles only grunted in response. “We're down to one horse,” Tsubaki went on, all professionalism now. He gestured to Arrow, who had a slash mark on his flank but was still standing where Niles had left him. “I doubt any of our soldiers are still alive; if they are, we are in no shape to recover them. At least half a dozen bandits got away.”

“I'll search the bodies,” Niles replied and tried to suit his words. As he bent over the first one he almost fell over. There had been a lot less left of that vulnerary than he had thought.

“You need to rest,” Tsubaki said firmly. He was going to try and take charge again. Great. “That vulnerary was more than half empty and you're at risk of reopening your wounds. And infection.” Niles tried to wave him off, felt a twinge in his arm and gave up.

“Fine, you search the bodies then,” Niles snapped and went over to his horse. The dumb beast nuzzled his face and Niles grudgingly scratched its ear.

“Why?” Tsubaki asked with no effort to hide his disgust.

“To see if they were sent by anyone or if this was just a supply raid. Empty their pockets and bring me any pouches, purses or whatever else you find that might be of interest. It'll tell us what we're dealing with.” Something in Tsubaki's face softened and he nodded and began on the grizzly task. _Great, he thought I meant to rob them_ , Niles thought. He shook his head in wonderment. Tsubaki was too used to dealing with obvious enemies from the war. He had a bit to learn about all of the dangers and pitfalls in Nohr.

A few minutes later, the sky knight brought over a few old packs and upended them in front of Niles. “Nothing in their pockets other than lint but these felt heavy.” Food and stolen trinkets tumbled out of the packs and a smaller pouch tumbled out of the last one. Niles opened it slowly and found twenty gold pieces. Whether it was the spoils of another raid or payment for taking out the escort, he didn't know. He looked at the trinkets; no house symbols on any of them and few would have any real market value. Not enough of anything to really tell him anything. He sighed and straightened up.

“We'd best move on,” he said. He looked his horse over; the animal was largely unhurt and his saddle bags were undisturbed. He swept his eyes over the area again. Fifteen soldiers killed, the two scouts presumably dead as well and eight that might have gotten away, if they did not find their bodies up ahead. He would not place bets on that. Seventeen dead horses in sight, and twenty dead brigands. That was a piss poor defence they had put up. The peacetime had definitely softened the Nohrian soldiers. “If there are any supplies worth taking from the horses, take what's salvageable and we'll put it on the horse. Money too I suppose; they won't be spending their pay any time soon.” He sighed. What a mess.

Tsubaki balked at raiding the dead until Niles pointed out that he wasn't going to use the royal coffers to fund bandits. Grudgingly Tsubaki searched the saddle bags, not allowing Niles to help and came up with three small purses, a handful of unbroken arrows, enough field rations for two days and a blanket roll that wasn't muddied or blood stained. He searched his own horse last of all and recovered one of his saddle bags; the other had been hacked to shreds and the contents bloodied. He transferred the field rations into his saddle bag and rearranged everything so that it would be easier for the horse to carry.

“Are you going to mount?” Tsubaki asked when he had finished.

“Won't go any faster with one of us riding and another on their feet,” Niles replied with a shrug.

“You're injured,” Tsubaki said pointedly.

“My legs are fine.”

“You shouldn't strain yourself.”

“You shouldn't care.”

“If you weren't my only chance of getting back to Windmire alive, I wouldn't,” Tsubaki replied with forced patience. “Besides, I'm responsible for you now.”

“Pardon?” Niles asked, his voice low and dangerous.

“A Hoshidan proverb. You are responsible for the life you saved. I just saved yours.”

“Well I saved yours first. An arrow would have been through your pretty little throat if I hadn't knocked you off your horse.”

“I suppose that leaves us with honours even,” Tsubaki said slowly. His face hardened and he stuck out his chin the way he did when he was about to be particularly stubborn. “We'll take turns riding then.”

“Fine, whatever. Can we go now?”

“Yes. You take your turn first.”

Niles mounted without another word. He was in no condition to argue further. Not that he wanted Tsubaki to know that.

 


	6. Reminiscing

Less than an hour had passed before Niles was swaying in his saddle. Tsubaki noted grimly that it wasn't Niles' usual lack of skill in riding a horse; the entrance wound on his back had reopened, a steady trickle of blood soaking through the remains of Niles' shirt. He opened his mouth to say something, caught the dangerous look in the other man's eye and stopped himself. Wordlessly, he took the reigns from Niles' hands and led the horse. Niles simply nodded and clung to the pommel of the saddle. It meant that neither of them could get to their weapons quickly if they were attacked again, but given the state they were in, they wouldn't have been able to put up much of a fight anyway.

Tsubaki could feel the bruises he had gained from being knocked out of the saddle, adding discomfort to every step. He knew he should be thankful for not having any broken bones and for not having taken worse than a couple of cuts in the skirmish but he couldn't muster the grace to be thankful at the moment. The best he could do was focus on the task at hand; one step after another, leading the horse clear of obstacles that could hurt it, keeping an eye out for threats. Another eye on Niles to make sure he didn't faint and drop out of the saddle.

Another hour of walking and Tsubaki knew they had to stop soon. Niles hadn't uttered a word of complaint but then he hadn't said anything since they had left the clearing. His brown skin had paled considerably and he was sweating and breathing heavily as well. The exit wound had yet to re-open but the way Niles was hunched in the saddle suggested that it wouldn't be far off.

“Is there a good spot to stop near here?” he asked gently. The last thing he wanted was Niles wasting his energy on an argument.

“Should be a river soon. Follow it upstream, should be a small cave in a hill,” he said after a brief look around. Niles took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm his breathing.

Tsubaki simply nodded and began to look and listen for signs of water. How Niles had his bearings in the first place was a mystery to him; the landscape still looked the same, forest broken by dry hills, the road they were on still narrow, hard packed dirt with tree branches and rocks across it as often as not. Another mile or two led to thinning trees and a slight downward slope. Once the water was in sight, a small river that could be crossed in a few steps, he turned the horse to follow it upstream. He kept just inside the treeline, trying to keep some cover between them and any potential attackers. It was scant cover but it was something.

The horse slipped once as they followed the river's gentle turns, resulting in a strangled curse from his rider. Tsubaki bit his tongue to avoid telling Niles to keep quiet; the man was doing his best, considering his wounds.

The sun was sinking behind the clouds in the west when Tsubaki finally saw the cave that Niles had mentioned. It was more like an indent in the rocky hill and easy to miss if you weren't looking for it. Tsubaki left the horse a good distance away before looking inside; if it was occupied he didn't want the horse to take fright. He stepped into the narrow entrance and saw that it opened onto a wider cavern in the back. There was a slight incline to the inner cave which would keep it from pooling with water on a rainy night. It was also more than large enough to bring the horse in for the night; they couldn't afford to have it stolen too.

He quickly came back out and saw Niles awkwardly dismounting. Niles' legs shook as his feet hit the ground and Tsubaki was almost certain the other man was going to fall. He walked over and put a steadying hand on Niles' arm. There was no snippy remark, no pushing him away this time. Tsubaki moved so that Niles could put his weight on him, took the reigns of the horse and led them inside the cave.

It took only moments to get the blanket roll unwrapped and Niles settled as close to comfortably as possible. Tsubaki went through the contents of his saddle bag, found his blessedly clean tunic and quickly got himself changed. He washed his wounds with some of the water from one of the surviving water skins and then brought the discarded shirt and bottle over to Niles.

“May I borrow your sword?”

“Why?”

“Bandages,” Tsubaki replied, holding up his ruined tunic. Niles simply nodded and Tsubaki took the sword and sliced into the material. He tore it by hand from there, making long strips and discarding any that had visible blood or dirt. That accomplished, he turned to Niles, who was leaning back against the cave wall with his eye closed. He approached slowly but the other man didn't move or acknowledge him in any way. He reached out to see if he was still conscious and Niles' hand shot up and grabbed his wrist.

“Don't sneak up on me.”

“If you didn't hear me approach, that's on you,” Tsubaki snapped. He shook his head, took a breath and reminded himself that it would be dishonourable to hit an injured man. “I'm going to need your shirt off.”

“I'm going to need a little more foreplay than that.”

“You need your injuries bandaged,” Tsubaki replied stiffly. His fist tightened on the bandages to stop himself from throwing them in Niles' face.

“I know,” came the eventual reply. A deep, ragged breath and then, “you're trying to help. I just can't stop myself from saying the wrong thing sometimes.”

Tsubaki nodded, his face softening at the almost-apology. “Can you remove it yourself or do you need help?”

Niles shifted, undid the laces one-handed and shrugged out of the garment with a sharp intake of breath and leaned forward helpfully. The wound on the front of his shoulder hadn't re-opened and like Tsubaki himself, Niles was a mass of bruises. The mass of scars across Niles' chest brought a wince; they looked even worse up close. The scars on Niles' back weren't much of a better sight, although some oddly shaped ones caught Tsubaki's attention briefly. They looked vaguely like the runes used in the old Nohrian magic tomes. Which meant... no he couldn't have let anyone intentionally carve him up, could he?

Tsubaki shook his head and made himself focus on the task at hand. He washed the wound on the back of Niles' shoulder as gently and thoroughly as possible. He felt the shoulder blade for any cracks that the vulnerary hadn't healed and was relieved to find none. It was a bit of muscle damage and surface wounds then. The wounds themselves looked alright once clean, no signs of infection. Niles' breathing had steadied now that he was able to sit still and not have to focus on staying on his horse. Tsubaki began to wind the bandages over the other man's shoulder and under his arm, tying them as tightly as he could manage. When he was done, he sat back on his heels and surveyed his handiwork; the bandages would hold up as long as Niles didn't move his arm too much.

“You were staring at something, before you checked my back,” Niles said suddenly. “What was it?”

Having been caught, and also being curious, Tsubaki gave an awkward shrug before answering. “There were some scars near the base of your neck, they looked almost like runes...” He let the question hang in the air.

“Did those scars break open?” Niles asked with a surprising intensity.

“No.” Niles sat back with a nod, clearly relieved about something.

“What are they?” Tsubaki asked after the silence had dragged far too long.

“Runes. Scarification.” Niles said with a mocking grin.

“Fine,” Tsubaki said with obvious exasperation. “What are they _for_?”

“Protection, mostly. They also let Leo know vaguely where I am and if I'm alive. He'd know if I were to die.”

“That's... morbid.”

“I prefer maudlin. It keeps him from worrying. Not that he should worry about me,” Niles added quickly.

“So you let him cut you up?”

“No, it was done entirely with magic. He knows a lot of older spells, many of which haven't been used by other mages in generations. He likes to know everything he can about magic and I honestly don't think anyone alive knows more than he does. Not even the Queen.”

Tsubaki nodded mutely and got up. He went to their saddle bags and dug around for some rations; they needed to eat and get some rest. Preparing a meal, even a dull one, was a much more preferable line of thought than the conversation that had transpired. Those marks looked like they had _hurt_ and Niles just took another person marking him as a matter of course. It spoke eerily of ownership to Tsubaki. And it made him even more aware of how little he knew about Nohr's new king. He seemed a better man than his father, but those marks made Tsubaki wonder. It also made him aware of how little he knew Niles. The things that the man accepted as normal...

Tsubaki went over and handed Niles his share of the night's rations; salted and dried meat, some cheese and a large roll of hard, sour bread. The same as the past few days, except when they had found some edible fruits not too far out of their path. There was only water to drink as Tsubaki didn't want to risk a fire outside the cave for tea. He sat down next to Niles wordlessly and ate without really tasting his food. Niles ate with equal silence, his mind obviously elsewhere.

Once they had finished Tsubaki got up, checked on the horse who was already dosing and then stationed himself inside the cave entrance. He felt Niles' eyes on him and explained hat he would take the first watch.

“As long as you wake me for mine,” was all Niles' said. Tsubaki nodded and watched the other man awkwardly lower himself to lie down and pull the blankets up around him. Once Niles seemed settled, Tsubaki turned and looked outside. There wasn't much to see now that the sky had darkened but he'd be sure to see anyone that approached, hopefully without being seen in turn.

It took him a little while to find the moon behind the clouds, but once he did, he carefully marked the position in his mind. He knew roughly how many hours until he could wake Niles and take his own share of rest. Until then, he would watch vigilantly; they weren't at war anymore, but Tsubaki was done with surprises for the day.

 

~~

 

Despite his wounds, despite overwhelming exhaustion and knowing that he needed to sleep, Niles found rest impossible. They had lost half a day due to the ambush and his injuries; down a horse, they would be another ten days instead of the six he had anticipated. With good weather. Four weeks away from his lord, in total, in the best case scenario. And he didn't have the luxury of knowing if Leo was okay without him; the spell Leo had set in the runes in Niles' back didn't work both ways. And Niles had never been cut out to be a mage; Leo had said he had some potential as a healer – as if anyone would trust him when they were vulnerable – but that he lacked the inborn skill for dark magic that he would need for more than the simplest battle spell. He had learned some practical magic from Leo, the lighting of candles, the ability to remove blood stains from clothes, or to set a ward to keep a room from getting dusty, but even that was an effort. Handy tricks to be sure, but often not worth the cost.

He sighed and noticed Tsubaki stir slightly at the sound. The other man was barely visible, keeping out of the thin moonlight that came through the cave's entrance. Another ten days, possibly more, alone with the most irritating Hoshidan. Whose fault this was, indirectly. If he hadn't wanted to see the others off... Niles shook his head. It didn't matter. The escort would be dead either way and there would be no one to give an explanation to his king. Or apologize. That was going to hurt. The other nobles would probably try to accuse him or Tsubaki of orchestrating the whole thing. At the very least they would try to get Leo to demote him. Not that he had wanted the title of a lord anyway – he had been raised alongside Odin after Leo's coronation – but Leo had needed people he could trust with rank. And it had made it a lot harder for the nobility to just dismiss the street rat and the outland retainer out of hand.

If Leo still had a handle on everything. If there hadn't been more riots or assassination attempts or... Every bad situation came to mind easily, every threat loomed large and even in his worrying Niles knew that the worst of it couldn't be handled by him alone, but he still wished he was there. Where there were healers and he had access to reports and knew what was going on. Instead of in a cave, injured, hoping that Leo wasn't worrying about him, hoping that Leo was still alive to worry. Hoping that Leo hadn't had to explain his worry to his Queen. She was versed in some very dark, forbidden and rarely used magic herself, but a spell of this particular sort did tax the user when the person it had been used on was injured. It was also quite the intimate spell and Niles didn't know how much Leo had told her about their past. She didn't need another reason to look at Niles askance.

Niles shifted in his bedroll, trying to become more comfortable on the hard ground. He forced his mind to more practical matters. They would need more food at the next town and a supply of vulneraries wouldn't go amiss either. Which would take time but there was little he could do about it. He knew that a horse for Tsubaki would speed things up and was equally aware that unless they veered out of the way towards a trading town, they didn't have the gold for one. Weapons were expensive in Nohr but those could be appropriated in the worst case scenario. A decent horse could cost up to eight thousand gold; a good horse almost double. And stealing a horse would not go unnoticed. He had letters of rights that could be used at one of the banks in the trade towns, but then they could get stuck bargaining if no one was eager to sell. Far too much time to waste. And Niles was still careful with money; he knew he had the rights to a decent sum but he could not make himself spend so extravagantly. He had spent too much time having nothing to waste what he did have on an inconvenience.

Finally finding a position that was somewhat comfortable, Niles closed his eye and tried to focus on sleep. He forced himself to slow his breathing and let his mind wander to more comforting thoughts. Sleep claimed him much faster than expected.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating in a while. The last month has been hectic and I've been trying to find the time for everything. I am not abandoning this fic any time soon, rest assured. 
> 
> Like everything before this, not at all beta read, just re-read and edited by myself. If anyone is interested in being a beta reader, do let me know =)


	7. Progress

The journey over the next two days was largely uneventful. Companionable silence had descended, much more comfortable than the cold and pained silences that had preceded it. Niles insisted that Tsubaki take his turns riding Arrow and it didn't take long for them to agree on a schedule; Tsubaki rode until they stopped at midday for a meal and Niles rode in the afternoon. The pace they set was only as fast as the person walking could manage; Niles could trot alongside the horse for a few miles at a time without issue, which would have impressed Tsubaki if he didn't remember the war so clearly. Niles had always been at Leo's stirrup, covering his liege as the mage brought havoc to the battlefield. Tsubaki tried desperately to match him but the reality was that Niles was faster and more graceful on his feet, while Tsubaki rode as if he had been born in the saddle. Each time, Tsubaki went longer than the last before needing to walk, and he was determined to make progress during their trip. Having a personal goal to meet always made him feel more focused and relaxed.

By the time they reached the next village, they had gone far enough into Nohr that no sun shone through the usual thick cloud cover. The weather looked always on the verge of rain except that the thick, heavy clouds seemed too high in the sky for it.

The village was bigger than the last but in no better shape. The people wore guarded expressions when they met Tsubaki's glance, and often looked away quickly. Some avoided looking at the newcomers altogether, while others fingered axes and belt knives warily. One side of the village itself sat against a larger stream, almost worthy of being called a river, while the other was shadowed by a a hill high enough that it was almost a mountain. The houses bore flecks of paint that the wind and rain hadn't managed to strip away yet, but the colours were so washed out that it was hard to tell what they had been. The village square smelt like fish and dust and sweat, while the women flaunting themselves outside of a run down inn smelt strongly of smoke and alcohol. While the name of the inn seemed like an odd string of words, the sign depicted a cat in a very unlikely act with a rooster that gave it a whole other meaning. Tsubaki began to wonder if there would be a house of ill repute in every Nohrian village they passed through; it seemed to be the only business that was thriving in the kingdom. Which was probably an unfair sentiment, Tsubaki admitted to himself.

They passed a second, more homely inn on their way through the village, stopping only when they reached a small shop that had a sign depicting a staff on the wall. An apothecary, one that looked to be in considerably better shape than any other building in the village. Niles dismounted with his usual lack of grace and tossed the reigns to Tsubaki. He left the Hoshidan standing there as he went inside to do business.

Tsubaki made an annoyed sound before turning his attention to Arrow. He knew that one of them had to stay with the horse to avoid it getting stolen, but it would be nice if Niles would have asked him to keep watch, instead of assuming that Tsubaki would. Even though it was a correct assumption; he cared more for the animal than its owner. He patted the horse's nose and reached up to scratch its ears.

Niles reappeared from inside the shop, looking irritated. Tsubaki didn't ask; Niles would either tell him or he wouldn't and he wasn't in the mood for an argument anyway. The former thief started to walk back towards the inn and Tsubaki fell into step beside him, Arrow following at a leisurely pace.

“Two vulneraries,” Niles said at last. “That's all she had and she charged me nearly double to part with them. The merchant caravan hasn't been through in two months.”

“Fallen to bandits?”

“Or sitting on their profits in their manors,” Niles sneered. “Most won't do an honest day's work if they can avoid it, no matter that the King provides guards and the people need supplies from the trading town in the north and Nestra in the south.”

“They disrespect their King and fail to honour agreements so easily?”

“The King's writ hasn't held much force outside of Windmire in generations. It's difficult to change things with so many people unwilling to take a hand,” Niles replied quietly. As if he knew he had said too much, Niles' face hardened. “This isn't Hoshido,” he snapped.

Tsubaki merely nodded. “Are we taking a room for the night?”

“There's a subtle change of topic” Niles replied wryly. Tsubaki simply shrugged. “It might be best. We can have a hot meal and resupply in the morning. I suppose you'll want your own room,” Niles mused.

“We'll see what's available.”

Niles gave him a very odd look before nodding. They stopped in front of the inn and a stable girl came out to take their horse. Tsubaki quickly removed the saddle bags and followed Niles inside.

The innkeeper was a hard looking man, neither fat nor thin, with an almost permanent sneer on his face. He looked at the two travellers as if trying to figure out what they were doing in his inn. They were rather the worse for wear, Tsubaki had to admit, but they looked no worse than half the patrons in the common room.

“I'd like to hire a room for the night,” Niles said without preamble. “Meals tonight and in the morning and our horse seen to as well.”

“Two beds will cost you the weight of three hundred gold.”

“That's more than double the going rate,” Niles replied, his eye narrowing.

“Times are hard. As you well know,” the innkeeper replied, eyeing the holes Niles' shirt and the dirt on his cloak.

“Two hundred and I'm being generous,” Niles countered.

“Three hundred or you can go see what the Catslit's Cock think of you and your boy.”

Niles looked more than indignant; he looked dangerous. Tsubaki recognized that look all too well; the assessing look of a man deciding where it is best to cut. He put a hand on Niles' arm and shook his head.

“For one bed?” Tsubaki asked, barely keeping his own indignation out of his voice.

“One hundred eighty. If you even have it.”

“We do.”

“Half upfront,” the innkeeper said with a grunt. Niles snarled as he fished out the equivalent of ninety gold weight and shoved it into the innkeeper's hands.

“Those better be large portions and a larger bed,” Niles said in a dangerously low tone.

“Ella will show you your room,” the innkeeper replied as if he had completely missed the threat in Niles' tone. Or perhaps he simply didn't care.

A meek looking serving girl trotted up and curtsied, a surprising courtesy given that the innkeeper seemed to have none.

“I'll show you your room, good sirs. It may not be the best but it has a nice view of the street if I do say so and the mattress is quite soft.” Niles nodded and gestured that the girl show them the way.

Ella nervously kept up a chatter the whole way up the two flights of stairs. “You mustn't mind the innkeeper, he's been in a right foul mood since his son died in the war. Never did want the boy off becoming a soldier but he had dreams, he did. He's suspicious of everyone these days, especially since no merchants have been about in a while. And the laundry girl went and ran off; got with some foreigner's child, so it's more work for the rest of us. But don't you worry, you leave your shirt by the door come nightfall and I'll fix it up for you. You need to keep warm when you travel.” She stopped only because she had found their room. “Right, here it is good sirs. If you need more candles or wood for the fire, just let your Ella know.”

Tsubaki and Niles exchanged a look before going into their room. The room itself and the bed were at bigger than the last inn's, Tsubaki was glad to see. Although after nearly a week on the road, he as happy for any bed, even if Niles was going to be in it.

The room had a large window just as Ella had said and a good sized fireplace as well. There was washstand and basin with no chips in it, a smaller dresser and a chair. All in all it looked much nicer than the outside had given them any reason to expect.

“Not really worth the coin,” Niles grumbled, as if he had read Tsubaki's thoughts.

“Another night outside wouldn't have harmed us, but I could do with a fire and a hot meal. And the horse will be better for having proper food instead of dried oats and whatever it can forage. We'll travel better because of it,” Tsubaki said as he set their saddle bags down. “It'll also be much easier to clean your wounds here.”

“They aren't bothering me much.”

“Niles, you're a formidable opponent, no one doubts that –”

“No one is here to, but you,” Niles cut in as he flopped onto the bed.

“– but anyone can fall to infection. Once we know that your wounds are clean, you can take one of those vulneraries to finish the job and we can stop worrying about it.”

“Not that it's your duty to worry about me.”

“Why is it that you become so much more difficult after being around other people?”

“I don't like people,” Niles replied. He sat up and kicked off his boots, still stubbornly ignoring his shirt and bandages.

“But you care what happens to them. To your fellow Nohrian citizens at least.” Tsubaki crossed his arms and stared Niles down from across the room. Niles met him stare for stare but remained silent a long time. Finally he said, “I care to execute King Leo's vision, which is to improve things for his subjects. I care to bring those to justice who deserve it. That is all.”

Tsubaki sighed and walked over to the wash basin. It was already filled with water and cloth was on the stand. He wet it, wrung it out and walked over to his unruly companion. He reached to undo Niles' shirt with one hand and the other man let him without further fuss.

“So there isn't one person, aside from your King, that you would save if you were not ordered to?” Tsubaki asked as he unwrapped the bandages.

“Odin,” Niles admitted reluctantly. Tsubaki hid a smile and began to clean the wound.

“And you would leave children to needless suffering? However much you hate people, you have a reputation for only making those who deserve it truly suffer.”

“Fine. You caught me. Sometimes I care,” Niles snapped. He grabbed Tsubaki's wrist and pulled it away from his back. The silence stretched a little too long, the pressure on Tsubaki's wrist firm but not threatening, Niles refusing to meet his eye... He felt his stomach lurch but he couldn't quite make himself pull away. “I can manage the rest myself.”

“It's done anyway,” Tsubaki replied as Niles dropped his wrist. “You should really take that vulnerary,” he added and turned away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update again. My tendinitis has been bad lately =( I have to say one of my chief joys in life is making up horrible inn names to bother Tsubaki with. It'll be a damn shame whenever they get back to Windmire. Shoutout to the Whores of Yore twitter for inspiration.


	8. The Last Leg Home

Tsubaki was bleary eyed the next morning as they left the town. He hadn't slept well and he was in an unpleasant mood. It turned out that not only was Niles a chronic clinger once he fell asleep, he was prone to nightmares. Tsubaki hadn't even fallen asleep when Niles first started clinging to him, which was awkward enough; he had barely managed to untangle the other man's arms from around him when he started to mutter in his sleep. The angry words were soon followed by snarls and Tsubaki had tried to shake the other man awake to no avail. He only quieted once he had snuggled up to Tsubaki again, at which point the sky knight tried to make the best of the situation and sleep.

Only to be startled from the edge of sleep by Niles crying and yelling in the throes of another nightmare. He had done his best to wake the sleeping man, shaking him, pinching him, telling him to wake up, with no luck. Tsubaki ended up putting his hand over Niles' mouth to quiet him in the hopes that no one else in the inn would make a noise complaint. Or completely misinterpret the noise that they heard. Once Niles had quieted, Tsubaki was too awake to sleep and every time he came close, a movement or small sound from Niles jolted him back into full wakefulness. By the time that first light began to break, he had had only an hour's sleep and was feeling the lack. That Niles managed to look rested at all impressed Tsubaki as much as it annoyed him.

And Niles didn't bring it up at all. It would be impossible for the man not to have remembered nightmares that made him scream or to wonder about disturbing his travelling companion, yet he didn't say a word. Oh no, he wasn't going to admit to anything resembling weakness to Tsubaki. The red head had to stop himself from grinding his teeth in irritation. He prayed to any god or divine dragon that might listen that the rest of the nights ahead would be peaceful.

~~~

 

Niles was exhausted by the time the walls of Windmire were in sight. If Tsubaki had slept poorly in the last inn they had stayed in, Niles had slept worse for the last two nights. They had made good time all in all, but had been caught far from a village that first night with little other than mangled trees that were more dead than alive for cover. They had spread the blanket roll in the branches for some shelter and attempted a small fire to keep warm. The blankets had soon soaked through and the fire had fizzled out soon after. Their horse kept some of the rain off from one side but Niles couldn't make himself be thankful; wet leather and wet horse were an unpleasant smell.

While Niles was familiar with cold and rainy nights and had a good cloak that would take hours to soak through, Tsubaki's Hoshidan clothes were not made for the weather. They were made of materials that were too thin for Nohr. He hoped that the clothes Leo had commissioned as a gift would be ready when they got back.

It wasn't long after the fire went out that Tsubaki began to shiver. He made no complaint however. Niles was as amused by Tsubaki's perfect facade being ruined as he was by the man's determination to remain stoic. There were limits to Niles' cruelty, especially since he couldn't bring a dead Hoshidan back to Windmire. When Tsubaki's teeth began to chatter, Niles sighed, rearranged his cloak to cover himself and the sopping Hoshidan and settles back with an arm around him.

“It's not necessary,” Tsubaki managed through chattering teeth.

“Vulneraries won't do anything for a cold,” Niles replied simply. “Can't afford to have you slow me down.” Tsubaki had simply nodded and put his head on Niles' shoulder.

“Gonna sleep now then,” he said thickly. “Wake me for my watch.” He had then proceeded to snuggle closer to Niles as if he had a perfect right to do so.

Tsubaki's warm breath on Niles' neck was more of a torment than the unending rain. He couldn't shake how good it felt to have someone pressed against him, even in sleep. Shallow breathing on his neck, taunting him with the promise of kisses and bites that were certainly not forthcoming. Tsubaki rearranged himself in his sleep and his hand ended up against Niles' chest, warm and intimate. As the minutes stretched to an hour he felt his resolve weakening. He ran a hand over Tsubaki's shoulder and along his arm, up his neck and began to stroke his hair. The sky knight didn't even stir. _It would be easy to kiss him like this,_ Niles thought. _Or to slip a knife in his ribs. Or along his cheek to watch him bleed and –_

He cut that thought of ruthlessly. A part of him knew that it wasn't normal to associate sex and blood, intimacy and pain. He couldn't help it, but he could keep himself from getting carried away. Or so he told himself. Especially when he could feel Tsubaki under his skin like this. He knew he was starting to obsess, to let his mind run away with possibilities. He also knew that when he became obsessed with someone it could only end in three ways; he could bed them, he could avoid them or he could kill them. Killing him would reignite the war between Hoshido and Nohr; avoiding him was impossible since he was responsible for him. He allowed his mind to wander; bedding him would probably be quite dull. Except that Tsubaki wanted to be perfect at everything. _He might be trainable; he might even welcome punishment for infractions._ That opened up possibilities.

Niles laughed to himself mirthlessly. Impossible possibilities. Tsubaki was a prude; a trusting prude, given his precarious position asleep against Niles, but still a prude. This was necessary survival; he needed warmth to get through the night and he needed sleep. He wouldn't ever come willingly to Niles' arms for any other reason. He forced himself to keep an eye on the area around them through the sheets of rain; to focus on the cold, discomfort of the storm instead of the heat threatening to build inside of him. He continued to caress Tsubaki's face and hair until he could wake the other man for his turn to watch.

The next morning had found them both waking up at about the same time; neither had been impressed that he had fallen asleep with no one on watch. There was some relief in the fact that nothing had been stolen, the horse hadn't wandered off and the rain had stopped.

Niles spent his breakfast muttering about how he would have shot any man that had fallen asleep on watch during the war; he'd shoot any man asleep at his post in the castle even now, to be honest. It wasn't until they were getting ready to set out that he heard Tsubaki cursing himself and muttering much the same thing.

“Still soldiers at the end of the day,” he had said with a smirk and a shake of his head.

“And at the beginning of the day too, it would seem,” Tsubaki had replied with a small smile.

They had walked their clothes dry, neither of theme eager to ride until they had done so. While they walked, they left the blankets spread over the horses back to dry out as well. Niles had spent the day with his bow to hand; there were always thieves and runaways, illegal traders and other unsavoury folk hiding in the last vestiges of the forest. They would have a much easier time once the city was in sight but until then, caution was their best ally. He didn't permit any rest until they stopped for nightfall; he wanted to reach a particular copse of trees before night.

They reached it as the sun fell; looked like a tangle of dead trees, almost a solid wood wall until Niles found the right spot to enter. It was better shelter than the night before but he wouldn't permit a fire despite the cold winds. He refused to draw attention to themselves that close to home.

“I'll take the first watch,” Tsubaki said, obviously eager to make up for his lapse the night before. Niles accepted the peace offering wordlessly, glad that he could sleep away from the other man for a few hours. His last thought before he had drifted off was that he needed a night to himself once they got back.

~~~

 

_Rough hands seized him. Not for the first time, he was sure. He wasn't sure of much else but he was sure he had been here before, been grabbed before. Been beaten before, club to stomach, fist to face. He couldn't move; he was being held. Or he was tied. In the way of dreams he simply wasn't sure. He could smell blood and rain; there was always blood and rain in the slums of Nohr. He felt something slash at his chest but he couldn't scream; was that the dream or was he gagged? His memory groped for the details but they were allusive. There were hands on him now, hands and claws and metal. More blood; he could taste it now._

_Somewhere in his mind he dimly knew that he should struggle, that he should run. He also knew that it was useless, that he was useless, worthless, utterly helpless and that no one would save him. No one would risk themselves for him. No one would face_ this _for him. He couldn't blame them, not really. He dimly knew that he had lived this before, that there was an end but the torment seemed endless._

_Rough hands on his back, on his legs, his face... He began to struggle now, shying away from what was coming. He couldn't see the faces, he never could, but he saw the gauntleted hand that went for his throat, saw the knife that was pulling back if only to strike at his eye. Saw the flash and felt the fire and –_

Niles had shot awake and lashed out. He didn't see Tsubaki standing above him, just those rough hands in the street that had demanded he pay for his insolence. He thrashed until he struck flesh, until he began to see where he was. Not the streets. Not there.

Tsubaki was pulling himself up across the sheltered clearing from him.

“You were screaming to wake the dead,” he snapped, rubbing his cheek tenderly. “Do you want to bring every living thing within a mile down on us?”

Niles winced and looked away. “You were right to wake me,” he muttered.

“What do you keep having nightmares about?” Tsubaki asked and Niles froze. This hadn't been the first on their journey then. And Tsubaki just sat there, rubbing his jaw, with eyes wide with pity. It was disgusting to look at; Niles felt disgusting, being looked at that way.

“I'll keep watch for the rest of the night.”

“You haven't had an hour's sleep. If you would just talk about it, you'd probably stop having them,” Tsubaki replied in that know-it-all-voice that Niles hated.

“You don't have any rights to my past,” Niles snarled in return. “You can't be the perfect saviour, you know that right? Focus on your own issues instead of trying to get involved with mine.” He got up and moved to the opening in the trees.

“I'll get some sleep then,” Tsubaki had said in that icey voice that was supposed to make Niles feel ashamed of what he said. He simply refused to let it get to him.

Half the night had passed when Niles started to regret not going back to sleep. _Getting out of practice_ , he thought and began to pace. It was a very long night and if Niles accidentally kicked Tsubaki awake the next morning, the sky knight didn't mention it.

 

~~~

Niles tiredly led his horse forward; Tsubaki rode easily, despite not having control of the reigns. As long as no one shot them from the town walls, they'd be home soon. Niles positively ached for a bath; first he would have to report to the King. He was half prepared to beg for any punishment, any task that would get him away from Tsubaki. As eager as he was to return to Leo, he was willing to call in any favour to get a night off. A night on the town would be good for him; maybe after that, the feeling of silky red hair would stop tormenting him so that he could think clearly again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short update. Hope to do more frequent updates again soon.


	9. Apologies

Niles was relieved to find that the guards on duty not only recognized him but had been awaiting his arrival. They were surprised to see that it was only him and Tsubaki but they only nodded when Niles said that he'd rather report to Leo directly. He waved off an escort and headed into the familiar hallways while a stable girl took his horse and promised to deliver their belongings to their rooms. Tsubaki trailed behind him, keeping pace and blessedly, his silence.

A matter of several stairways and a few minutes of walking brought them to the quarters of the royal family. Niles didn't drop his guard; instead he moved even more carefully, watched every corridor as if it contained deadly enemies. They very well could; King Leo wasn't the only one who had faced assassination attempts these past few months.

Finally, Niles found himself outside of the door to his apartments. He still found it hard to believe that so many rooms were reserved solely for his use. Harder to believe that these had been Leo's quarters before he became king. Leo had found the royal quarters too empty and had moved Niles and Odin into them when he had them promoted to lords. It hadn't been much of a move for Niles; his room had been inside the apartments so that he could better protect his lord. Or eagerly await his pleasure. Niles forced those thoughts away and wondered if he had made a mistake by having that extra room prepared for Tsubaki; it would be easier to keep an eye on the envoy true, but things that happened in one bedroom could be heard easily from another. _Too late to change my mind now_ , he thought and went in.

His eyes glanced over the sitting room; it was tidy, there was a tray with hot food on the table and nothing that he could see was missing or out of place. He took a quick glance into the office and found nothing amiss, then walked to each of the bedrooms and the bathroom as well; nothing out of place, no sign that anyone other than his maid had been there. He went back into the sitting room where Tsubaki was glancing around curiously.

“Your room is in there,” Niles said with a nod to the door. “A wardrobe with several outfits should have been provided by the King as a gift for your stay. Feel free to eat something and get washed up. I'll be back after I report to the King.”

“Shouldn't I attend with you?” Tsubaki asked. His composure was ruined by a sudden sneeze and a look of irritation that followed. It seemed he was on his way to having a cold after all.

“No. You should get settled. If there is anything lacking for your comfort, just ask Alnore, the maid, when she comes to check in. She should be able to make any arrangements that you might need.”

“If you're certain,” Tsubaki replied hesitantly.

“If you have something to say then say it,” Niles snapped; his patience was wearing thin.

“I...” he trailed off under Niles' harsh stare. “It can wait.”

“Good. Wait here for me.” With that Niles left the room, having decided that a meal could wait until he had spoken to the King.

He wasn't more than ten steps away from his room when Alnore fell into step beside him, as if having spoken her name had summoned her. The maid was pretty enough, just short of her middle years with bright green eyes and silver hair bound in a tight braid. She was one of the only maids not to be perturbed by Niles or put off by his jibes. He wasn't sure how, but he had won her loyalty this past year and she acted as his eyes and ears whenever he was out of the palace. She was also, regrettably, married.

“What news while I was away?” Niles asked idly as he started the long trek to the King's receiving office. It was a subtle power move, making people walk half the castle to get to him. One that Niles approved of, if only because it made people squirm.

“Well, the weather's been worse than usual, which you probably know,” Alnore said casually, with a pointed look at his travel stained clothes. “There are no new guests of note. Lady Orochi has settled in nicely and has been good company for the Queen and lady Camilla.”

“Any incidents?” he asked as they continued their trek. A pair of butlers saw Niles coming and promptly found another direction to walk in. He smirked and memorized their faces; he would find out what made for such guilty actions later.

“There was an attempt on the Queen and two more on the King. Sir Odin kept them both safe with no injury to himself.” She sounded quite proud of the fact.

“And I suppose no one saw the assassins before Odin dealt with them.”

“There were a handful of murdered guards, but my lord is quite right, no witnesses to that.”

“They were apprehended?”

“Killed, unfortunately.”

Niles made a sound of vexation but kept his face impassive. “Any pressing concerns?”

“The King has been said to be acting strangely but the gossip from lady Camilla's bower suggests that some distant cousins are going out of their way to circumvent his orders regarding repairs to roads or bridges or some such. And of course some of the noblewomen have not quite given up pursuit of him, despite his public stance regarding concubines. One even tried to approach Sir Odin or so I heard; lady Camilla's retainer threw her out of his quarters before he even knew she was there. Which has reignited the rumours about them. But that's all just women's gossip, probably not worth much,” she finished with a slight bow of her head.

Niles simply nodded and flipped her a heavy weight gold coin, which she pocketed instantly.

“Orders, my lord?” she asked as if she were his retainer. He wasn't quite used to that idea and forced it aside.

“The other Hoshidan envoy is in my quarters; make sure that he gets some rest and some medicine for his cold. If he has any reasonable requests or questions, go ahead and grant them. I'd rather he not wander the castle if possible, but please attend to him if he gets stubborn about that fact. If he asks where I am, tell him that I'll be back when its time for him to work.” Niles wracked his brain for anything he could have missed. He came up with nothing and then nodded.

“A gilded cage for the pretty Hoshidan bird, is it? Well that should be easy enough to manage,” the maid said with a conspiratorial smile.

“Sometimes lace binds more tightly than steel,” he replied. Alnore merely shook her head to hide her widening smile.

“I'll make sure that he's safe and sound and that no one interferes with him,” she said with a curtsy. “May I withdraw?”

“You are a stickler for formality,” Niles couldn't help but point out.

“Always safer to maintain boundaries where you are involved, sir.”

“So I've been told,” he replied wryly. “You may withdraw.” Alnore gave a perfect curtsy before retreating to another hallway. He shook his head regretfully. All this lord business was getting to him. Some of the maids and the guards used to chat with him or share a meal or a drink in the common dining room from time to time. Now they were all strictly formal and distant. With rank came power and responsibility but also isolation. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that.

He continued his trek, trying to organize what he would say in his mind as he watched the corridors around him for suspicious activity. The hallways were remarkably quiet for mid afternoon which would have been a relief if it wasn't so odd.

Several hallways and stair cases later, Niles stood outside the receiving office. It was a large room with a desk at one end, with an eastern facing window behind it; it made looking at the King difficult when the weather was nicer. Another power move that Niles approved of; making people uncomfortable from the get go to keep them off balance. There were tables with reports, maps and copies of legal documents throughout the room and a few plush chairs for guests of note and more intimate conversation with the King. The room had been used for years to sign treaties, amend laws, receive reports and petitions, as well as acting as a command post during rebellions and civil wars. It lacked ornament and was made to be put to practical use, which suited Leo quite well.

The guards nodded to Niles and one went inside to announce his arrival to the King. Which meant that there was someone in there with him, or else Niles would have been waved through. He leaned against a wall and waited for his summons and for whoever had been meeting with the King to leave. After a moment, he pulled a knife from his belt and began to trim his nails. He found it quite satisfying how that always seemed to make other people squirm although he couldn't begin to fathom why.

At last, two sorcerers that Niles recognized from the council of mages left the room. They looked quite thoughtful which suggested that the meeting had gone well. Leo would tell Niles what he needed to know about it when he needed to know, so he quickly put them out of his mind and went in. The King was sitting at one of the tables with two of the comfy chairs pulled up on the other side; Niles quickly surmised that Leo was in a reasonable mood and that this conversation might not be as unpleasant as Niles had anticipated. A second look revealed that Leo was exhausted; hiding it well, but he was paler than usual and his posture had slumped a bit.

Nile suppressed the urge to reach out to Leo; if he made physical contact now, after all this time apart, he'd come undone entirely. Composure, restraint, any promises made would lie abandoned on the floor. So he sat in the chair across from him, lounging as casually as he dared.

“So you are alright,” Leo said as he straightened in his chair. “I wasn't sure for a while there...” He made an annoyed noise and shook his head. “What happened?” he asked, all business now.

“We were ambushed on our way back. Our scouts were taken out before we were attacked,” Niles replied simply. “The Hoshidan is alright.”

“And everyone else?”

“Dead or captive. We didn't have the man power to mount a search and rescue attempt.”

“Over a score of men, Niles. You've never lost that many, not even in the war. The other nobles will want an account and use this to try to demote you. A public apology will be required at the least and they will expect me to set some sort of punishment on you.”

“Each of them has lost more on multiple occasions. That's why Garon retired so many of them to their estates.”

“One of the reasons. The others, as you well know, involved preventing us from finding out how much he had sacrificed for the war effort; the state of the roads and bridges, the schools all closed, the soup kitchens and orphanages all but made useless from lack of funds. Nevermind Iago's meddling.”

“So what do you suggest?” Niles asked as he rubbed his temple. “If I hadn't been keeping an eye on the Hoshidan I myself could have been scouting.” It was public knowledge that even with only one eye, Niles was one of the best scouts in the kingdom. “Hell if he hadn't insisted on accompanying them back, perhaps this could have been avoided entirely.”

“Or at least the blame wouldn't be placed on you,” Leo replied testily. “At this point we can only be glad that no one has pinned this on Tsubaki. Or tried to claim that you two are part of a conspiracy to undermine me.”

Niles winced at that and moderated his tone. “What would you have of me, my lord?”

“A public apology, before the throne. Some sort of fine, perhaps. You will be on house arrest for a while and I can send some noble looking to prove himself to the area to try to find the soldiers or at least clear out the bandits.” Niles simply nodded and waited. Leo stood up and began to pace, a sure sign of nervous energy.

“So you still find Tsubaki to be insufferable then,” Leo said quietly as he paced. “Yet he survived.”

“I took an arrow for the idiot,” Niles replied. “I'll do my duty even when it frustrates me.”

“And he is well? A report regarding the incident will have to be shared with the Hoshidans, before rumour can reach them.”

“Yes. He might be coming down with a cold but that's all.” Leo nodded a reply and continued to pace, back and forth, back and forth, as if he might drop from exhaustion if he sat still.

“My lord, have you been resting?” Niles asked. Then before he could think better of it, he added “or has the Queen had you up most nights?”

He expected a rebuke, or a flat look and the tension to ease; instead Leo stopped stock still, red faced and staring at the ground.

“I... well... She, we that is...” Leo stopped, took a breath and let out what he had been attempting to say all in a rush. “Nyx is pregnant.”

It took all of Niles' composure to keep his jaw from dropping. He felt cold inside; his mouth worked mechanically and he forced a smile to his face. “Congratulations. I'm impressed at how fast that was.”

Leo looked at Niles, clearly struggling for composure. “Niles, I didn't mean to tell you like this. I just didn't know how to say it and I'm so-”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Niles cut him off with a forced laugh. “It's nice to have some good news.”

“Thank you,” Leo replied softly. “It's not yet public knowledge.” Niles simply nodded; Leo's secrets were always safely kept.

“In the wake of this good news, may I ask a favour?”

“What do you need?”

“A night off. I know I am supposed to guard Tsubaki and help him learn something of Nohrian ways but he's making me crazy and I need some time away from him.” _Away from here. Away from you._

“Of course. But wouldn't it be easier to get away from him if you had quartered him elsewhere?” Leo asked with a small smile.

Niles blinked in surprise. “Yeah well, that's my mistake. I gave the order before we left. This long on the road with him and no other company is about all I can take without a break. And doubt I have a chance at being reassigned,” he half asked.

“Too many would see that as a reward for you and I cannot be seen to show especial favour to you right now, in light of recent events.”

“I thought as much. If there is anything I need to review from my absence, I will gladly do so first thing in the morning,” Niles said formally. He began to bow, caught Leo's scowl and stopped. So he wasn't in that much trouble, if Leo still preferred that he leave the formalities to public audiences. That was the same. But so much had changed with just a few words.

“I'll have some reports sent to your desk first thing,” Leo replied with a nod.

“As you wish. If I may withdraw?”

“Go ahead. Just be careful tonight.”

“I'm always careful. Oh and Leo?” Niles asked as he turned to walk towards the door.

“Hm? The King had returned to one of the map tables and looked up only briefly.

“Get some sleep.” With that, Niles was out in the hall, pulling the heavy door closed before he could hear the king's response. He walked past the guards with a nod, and considered what he planned to do next.

Nyx was pregnant, which meant that Leo had either done well on their wedding night or that the two had been sleeping together before then. He shoved that thought aside roughly; it felt like shoving his hand through broken glass. He needed to get out of the castle. His chest felt tight and it became difficult to think. Out. He had to get out. He made himself breathe and start to think. He considered returning to his rooms for a change of clothing, but Tsubaki was there and he couldn't face the sky knight right then. Be it enthusiasm or pity or confusion at Niles' reactions, facing Tsubaki right then would be more than he could take; he could not break around that man.

He glanced down at himself and nodded; he hadn't changed since they arrived in the castle and even though his clothing had been well made, it was travel worn and torn. It was still a little too fine for where he wanted to go but he didn't care. He was known there and would blend in well enough no matter what he wore. And most of the patrons would be too drunk to remember seeing anyone specific the day after.

Niles turned and headed down the many long hallways towards the western wing of the castle, the one that let out into the gardens. Several ramps and stairways later, he was outside in the misty air. He instinctively sniffed the air; it didn't smell like more rain. Just mist and probably some fog later in the evening. That suited him fine.

If he hadn't known exactly what he was looking for he would have missed the overgrown entrance to the worker's tunnel that the princess Elise had used to sneak out of the castle. It looked collapsed at the entrance, a trick of the shadows from the large garden wall. He moved the seeming debris aside, found the well disguised door and slipped into the tunnel. He began the familiar path to Windmire's underground market and tried not to think as he walked.

The bright lanterns of the underground and the people milling about their business, trading for much needed wares, the jugglers and dancers and flute players, the life that Nohr's upper streets lacked was always refreshing. Those that used the underground market ranged from the beggars of the slums to shopkeepers and smiths, tailors and peddlers of mild to middling success. But it was not what he sought. He walked quickly, ignoring calls to buy this or that and continued to the opposite end, where one of the stairways to the upper streets was located.

He emerged into quiet cobbled streets and headed towards the second gate, the one that separated the slums of Windmire from the city proper. Another wall surround the slums, the newest built of the three that surrounded the city, with the castle just west of the centre. It also happened to be in the worst repair; no one in recent generations cared if the people of the slums got killed by an approaching army. Years as a royal retainer had not completely erased Niles' bitterness over that fact.

Night was coming on quickly and Niles made himself pay close attention to the streets and roof tops around him. Cobblestones soon gave way to dirt streets, pitted with puddles. He was in familiar territory now but that did not mean he was safe; the streets that had raised him were dangerous for the wary and unwary alike. He checked his sword; it was often enough to deter thieves. The only people who wore swords in this area were mercenaries and illegal traders who knew the use of them. If his was of a finer make, he had been paid well by his most recent employer; that sort of excuse was not uncommon.

At last he found the noise of a familiar building; the door was half off its hinges but light shone from the doorway and the slatted windows. Bawdy songs and shouts streamed out of the building alongside the fumes of cheap alcohol and unwashed bodies. Downing the Dragon was a house of cheap ale, bad wine, rumours and beautiful men and women, all alongside the thieves, thugs, traders and mercenaries who took their pleasure of them. Allegedly, there had always been a business called Downing the Dragon in that spot and speculation on the origins of the name ranged from some forgotten story to a range of lewd euphemisms that Niles had always enjoyed. There was no sign – very few in the slums could read – but anyone who had grown up in the slums knew the building before the age of ten. It was the lowest type of establishment, where Niles was most comfortable.

He chuckled to himself as he remembered the one time he had taken Odin and Laslow there, years ago now. Laslow had been in shock at first and almost too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye; a few mugs of ale and a very pretty serving wench had changed that. Odin had spent the night drinking and trying to find somewhere appropriate to look; Niles had laughed, enjoying the discomfort. Those two had certainly learned a few things that night. He pushed the door out of his way and replaced it in its half upright position as greetings were yelled.

“It's Zero!” someone announced happily above the din. He grinned; he still had a reputation here. And while it wasn't home any longer, it was good to be back. He waved to a familiar mercenary as a pretty girl wearing barely more than a smile walked up to him; she was sprightly, with dark waves to her shoulders and a dancer's body.

“It's so good to see you!” she squealed as she pressed herself against him and pulled him into a kiss. “You must regale us with your adventures!” Before he could reply, a lilac haired man, perhaps a year or two younger than Leo, slipped an arm around his other side and handed him a cup of the bawdy house's best wine; it would taste something awful, but Niles intended to drink it and much more.

“I'd be delighted to serve you tonight, master Zero,” the young man said seductively. A pretty woman on one arm and a beautiful man on another; that was what Niles needed right then.

With a feral grin, Niles asked them to show him to one of the semi-private rooms. It wasn't home but it was going to be a damned good distraction that night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter in my head a dozen times and I'm sure I left out a few things I had originally planned but I'm calling it done. I promise there will be more Tsubaki next chapter. Kamelot's song Static has me inspired to get working on this more consistently again (seriously go give it a listen or at least read the words) so I hope to get the next chapter written quickly. Old chapters have been given minor edits for consistency.


	10. Offences

Tsubaki drummed his fingers on the table in irritation. It had to have been at least two hours since Niles had left to give his report to the King. _Where was he?_

He had taken Niles' advice and washed up and gotten changed. The wardrobe had held a wealth of clothes, in various colours and cuts. With the exception of the formal shirts, which were all white or pale blue, the colours were rich and dark; reds, greens and blues, in the strictest Nohrian hues. There were coats and pants – breeches? – in silk and wool, shirts and tunics in silk, linen and velvet, a heavy oiled cloak to keep the rain off and a formal cloak in wool with silver embroidery. Belts and boots and shoes, in leather and suede, some with simple metal buckles, and other with intricate designs that had to have been custom made. Soft socks and undergarments in the bottom drawer of the wardrobe completed the lot.

While he felt oddly treacherous for exchanging his usual Hoshidan clothes for the heavier Nohiran fabrics and styles, he had to admit that they were warmer. The castle seamstresses had also done a very good job; everything fit as if he had stood for the making of every piece, instead of the quick measuring and pinning they had done before he had left more than three weeks ago. A quick glance in the mirror with the vine carved frame showed that they suited him surprisingly well. He had worried that he would look foolish in Nohrian garments.

Tsubaki had gone back into the sitting room and saw that the food tray had been replaced. There was only food for one now. Niles had had his food brought to him elsewhere, apparently. He had shrugged it off and eaten what he could. With still no sign of his surly host, he had started to explore the rooms. Niles had told him to wait but he had never said that any of the rooms were off limits. He had been happy enough to see the large bath, made of worked granite and built into the room. There were shelves and a large wash stand and basin on one wall and a mirror with a wrought metal frame along the other wall.

He had gone back to the sitting room and picked another door, this one leading to a sparsely appointed office. The book shelf that covered half of one wall looked like it had once housed many more books than it currently did. The desk had nothing other than a writing box on it and the chair behind the desk looked like it would better suit a merchant of middling success than a royal retainer. The large window actually had a door in it, which led to a tiny strip of balcony that held a couple of potted rose bushes. Book stands for reading had been gathered into a corner, as if they hadn't seen use in some time and the remaining wall looked like there had once been a tapestry or painting on it. There was nothing personal about the space at all, Tsubaki had realised, as he went to look in the final room.

The large canopied bed had been a surprise; aside from the bath, it was the only true luxury in Niles' quarters. The wooden frame was a work of beauty; it looked as if it had grown from the bedroom floor instead of having been carved and assembled. It emulated trees whose branches artfully came together at the top to hold the curtains, a deep green reminiscent of old forests. The bedside tables were carved in flowing designs and the bookshelves on the far wall matched them, curve for curve. The stone walls had been dressed with a warm red wood; the combination was meant to be elegant and soothing. Gilt lamps were attached to walls around the room; mirrors attached would amplify the light once they were lit. A plush chair sat by the book shelves for comfortable reading.

Yet the dresser and wardrobe were simple affairs, utterly out of place with the rest of the furnishings. And the bookshelves, while more populated than in the office, were still about half empty. Tsubaki had gone and glanced at the titles, more for something to do than any other reason. He was surprised at the mix of genres littering the shelves; Nohrian histories sat next to a compilation of stories about the moon; tawdry romances sat next to a codex of Nohrian law; three volumes of poetry leaned on a stack of primers, books used to learn to read and write. Feeling suddenly like he had intruded on something private, he had left the room and sat down at the table in the sitting room.

Where he had started to sneeze again. He poured himself the remainder of the tea that had accompanied his meal and tried to relax, but it was to no avail. After finishing the tea, he had added his few belongings to the wardrobe and shelves in his room and had then returned to the sitting room. Where there was still no Niles. Or anyone else for that matter.

He stopped tapping his fingers on the table and stood up, nearly choking on a cough. He had had enough of waiting; he had to find someone or something to do, or else he was going to go crazy. At the very least he needed something for this cold before it got worse; spending his first few days back in Windmire sick was not appealing. He didn't want to admit defeat but he needed a healer or an herbalist. Or even a book on Nohrian herbs; any that he would have used in Hoshido were unlikely to be easily available.

The door opened and a maid bobbed a curtsy on her way in.

“Lord Niles asked me to see if there was anything that you needed,” she said matter of factly.

“Are you a healer by any chance?” Tsubaki withheld a sigh as she shook her head no. “Would you be able to show me to the library?”

“Of course. Lord Niles wouldn't want you getting lost now,” she replied pleasantly. “I'm Alnore by the way.” She bobbed another curtsy and led him out of the room. Tsubaki stifled another cough and followed on her heels, eager to be doing something.

“Is Niles actually a lord?” Tsubaki asked as they traversed the twisting hallways. He tried to memorize the sparse decorations, the occasional tapestries and portraits in the hopes of being able to find his own way back. If he was going to stay here, he didn't want to be dependent on a guide the whole time.

“Oh yes, the King granted him and Odin both a lordship for their invaluable service. Sir Odin ceded his land back to the King; he is a foreigner after all and might return to his homeland one day. Wherever that may be. Niles has followed the King's recommendations and let those who have worked on his estate for years continue to run it on his behalf. The lord that used to own it was convicted of war crimes and was stripped of his lands and titles before being hung.” All that with a nod that said it was the right course of action.

“He really does not act it,” Tsubaki said before he could stop himself.

“He has humble beginnings, sir. And he makes the other lords and ladies uncomfortable, which I do think the King enjoys. He can ferret out secrets like no one else and if the lords and ladies are too busy looking over their shoulders they can't cause trouble for the King,” she paused as a pair of guards crossed the intersection of hallways that they were at. The intersection itself was utterly unremarkable; no particular wall hanging or view from a window to mark it in Tsubaki's mind.

“In any case, Niles is a good lord. He treats the servants well, doesn't consort with any that don't want his company and rewards good work. He doesn't abuse the servants over trifles or overwork them nor does he leave much mess about since he's used to taking care of himself. His trust is difficult to win but an honour to hold.” They continued down the hallway to a large stair case that took them down several floors.

“I didn't realise he was held in such esteem,” he said carefully. Alnore spoke of Niles as if she'd been in his service her entire life; it wasn't all that different than Hoshidan retainers speaking of the lords and ladies that they served. Alnore gave him a sidelong stare as if daring him to say something bad about Niles; Tsubaki withheld any of his own judgments.

“I suppose,” Alnore said after a few minutes of walking in silence, “that a man in your position would have questions.”

“My position?”

“As an envoy,” she replied airily but the look she gave implied things. Tsubaki wasn't entirely sure what but he nodded anyway. Strange woman.

“The library sir,” she said as they came to large double doors. “Please do not try to find your way back on your own; I'll come for you in an hour.” She was walking away before Tsubaki could say that it wasn't necessary so he simply shook his head and went inside.

The library sat in a well comprised of many floors; he could see four from where he was standing. Shelves lined the walls and long tables surrounded an oak tree in the centre. There were rows of glass cases showing artifacts and rare scripts, with little plaques detailing their importance. The tree drew him; it was the liveliest piece of foliage he had seen in the capital. As he got closer he saw that it had somehow grown through the stone floor and had a skeleton, the bones clean and white, tangled in its roots. He must have been gaping because an elderly librarian stopped next to him.

“The last person that tried to steal Brynhildr,” the man explained without preamble. “You can see her empty case ten feet to the left there. That's as far as he got before she retaliated. Couldn't get the body out of the roots, so the old King ordered the mages to clean it up. Left the old thief as a warning. If you needed any proof that the divine weapons pick their wielders, there it is. The prince, the one who's King now, picked her up a year or two later. Scared the old librarian nearly to death when he did,” he finished with a chuckle. “But you aren't here for that. What can I help you with?”

Tsubaki tore his eyes away with an effort. “Books on herbs and cures. In the common tongue, any Hoshidan dialect or modern Nohrian preferably,” Tsubaki replied. His modern Nohrian was passable but he had yet to venture into any of the older dialects of language or the runic language of the dark mages. He added that to his list of things to work on while he was in Nohr.

“I'll see what we have. Many of those books reside in the King's quarters now; he has always been interested in plants and their growing and uses. Don't suppose he'll have much time for that anymore, but he does still maintain the rose walk, the royal gardens and the women's gardens,” the man stopped and ran a thumb across his chin in thought. “You just make yourself comfortable at one of the tables and I'll bring you what you need.”

“If you can show me what section, I'll be fine to fetch them myself.”

A few quick words and Tsubaki was climbing up to the second floor. This little venture had already proven quite useful; he was learning about the King and Niles as people instead of as their positions. He would never have imagined that King Leo was so sentimental or that his practical nature would allow such concessions to beauty as to maintain ornamental gardens. That Niles was so well respected was also a surprise and perhaps an indication that his surliness was part of a front. Or simply that he was moody; not everyone was as composed as Tsubaki was.

He moved through the rows of shelves, trying not to marvel at the sheer amount of books and scrolls housed in this place. He had heard that the Nohrian library had the biggest collection of texts and artifacts on the continent but he hadn't quite believed it. Castle Shirasagi's library was large and said to rival the one in Cyrkensia; it had been difficult to imagine more books, scrolls, journals and tomes in one place. That the Nohrian library seemed to serve as a museum as well just added to the impression; so much knowledge, history and beauty stored in one place was awe inspiring. He suddenly understood King Leo's drive to reopen schools throughout the kingdom; if his people were all literate and had access to this wealth of knowledge, they would have been unbeatable in the war. Instead King Garon had closed schools and soup kitchens, orphanages and houses of healing, hoarding wealth and knowledge here, for the use of only those he trusted or was related to.

Shaking his head at the thought, Tsubaki began to thumb through the section on herbology. He kicked up little dust in the process – the library was very well maintained at King Leo's direction – but that little bit was enough to send him into a coughing fit. There were gaps in the shelves where books had been removed, to Leo's quarters most likely, but eventually he managed to find a catalogue of herbs and plants grown on the castle grounds and two volumes on combining herbs for medical uses, all blessedly in the common tongue.

Just as he was sitting down, a girl in a silver dress that clung to her shoulders came and claimed the seat in front of him. He considered moving and then took another look at her; purple hair loose about her shoulders, eyes that were sometimes a deep pink, sometimes purple depending on the light...

“Orochi?” he asked, blinking. She looked very different in Nohrian dress – in a dress at all! – and he was feeling off, but it still irked him that he hadn't recognized her as quickly as she had him.

“Of course. I heard you were back and wanted to see you. And my you are a sight,” she said with a smirk. “I take it you were inconvenienced in your travels?”

“I'm sure you already know,” he muttered irritably.

“I had my suspicions. So have you tried to save him yet?”

“Save who?” He opened the catalogue of herbs and tried to feign disinterest.

“Niles of course. Do you not listen to a word I say?”

Tsubaki chewed his lip in thought, realised what he was doing and made himself stop. Right, she had said something about him playing the hero on the night of the royal wedding. Orochi laid her cards upon the table while she waited for a response.

“I kept him from bleeding to death but that's hardly heroic. Or more than I would do for anyone injured.” Orochi reached across the table and swatted him with a card.

“That is not the type of saving I meant and you know it,” she said disdainfully.

“I really don't. Regardless, I have work to do,” he replied, raising the book indicatively. The silence stretched and Tsubaki sighed as he forced himself to swallow his pride. “Unless you can do something about a cold...?”

“The great Tsubaki asking little old me for help, oh what a day,” Orochi intoned with mock seriousness. He shot her a withering look and she sobered. “Unfortunately, rods and staves can do little for a cold. And Kaze was the herbalist, not I.”

“Then I have work to do,” Tsubaki replied as pleasantly as he could manage. A coughing fit spoiled the effect somewhat.

“I'll ask around and see if Odin or lady Camilla have something that can help,” Orochi said gently. “I didn't realise it was that bad. I'll come find you if I find anything. We can catch up another time.” She patted his arm as she got up and then glanced down at her cards. “You have a difficult couple of weeks ahead. You'll get through them.” With a grimace, she scooped up the cards and put them in a pouch hanging from her belt and glided from the library.

Tsubaki watched her go before shaking his head. She was more than passing strange but she meant well. He re-opened the book and began to skim, looking for words and phrases that sounded promising. He had barely gotten what he wanted out of the first book when Alnore reappeared, a look of forced patience so strong on her face that he immediately stood up and collected his things. He gave his regards to the librarian, documented which books he had taken and returned to where the maid was waiting as quickly as he could manage. _I'll concentrate better back in my room anyway_ , he told himself.

Alnore gave a satisfactory nod that was almost motherly and began to lead him back through the twisting hallways to his rooms.

 

~

 

Yawning over the final book, Tsubaki glanced at the door for the hundredth time. It had to be past midnight now; he had eaten a late dinner of stew and followed it with mint tea as he read. He had gone over everything three or four times to make sure he had the locations and combinations down in his mind. He remembered the Nohrian names for the months and was sure that he had at least three potential combinations of herbs for teas and poultices that he could collect in the morning to help cure his stupid cold. He had taken paper and a quill pen from Niles' office and written up the lists, sanded the ink to avoid blotting and double checked to make sure he hadn't given any of the plants their Hoshidan names by mistake. He had prolonged going to bed, hoping that Niles would show up so that he could give him a piece of his mind, only to still be alone at this hour.

Deciding there was nothing for it and that Niles would have to be dealt with in the morning, he stood up on legs that were half asleep from sitting for so long and began to walk towards his room. Within two steps he heard the sound of a door opening. He turned, prepared to tell whatever maid was checking in on him that he didn't need anything, to see the object of his vexation walking in on shaky legs. Concern hit Tsubaki like a physical thing in his stomach, only to be replaced by even more frustration as the smell of alcohol and smoke hit a second later.

Niles looked at Tsubaki as he prepared to tell the man off and simply held up one finger. Tsubaki closed his mouth, crossed his arms in irritation and began to tap his foot. Niles went into the bathroom, straight to the wash stand and poured water from a pitcher into the large basin. He then unceremoniously stuck his head in the water, pulled it out, shook his head like a dog, splashing water at everything, before turning back to Tsubaki.

“You have my attention,” Niles said, a sardonic grin painted on his face.

“That hardly counts as a bath, which you desperately need by the way,” Tsubaki snapped. “It's frustrating enough that you just left me cooling my heels with no word or instruction, but to do it just so you can get drunk is something else all together.”

“What are you going to do, punish me for my indiscretions?” Niles' grin turned absolutely feral as he said that; Tsubaki wanted to slap it off of his face.

“You could have said something! Sent a message or... why am I even bothering? You're clearly still drunk and probably won't even remember this in the morning.”

“Nope. Not that drunk. Been a long time since I've been that drunk.” To his credit, Niles didn't slur a single word. He did however look like he was swaying on the spot.

“Not that you have the basic manners for it, but it would have been nice to know what you were doing. To know you hadn't been assigned to an important task and decided to just leave me out of it. Instead of wasting my time waiting around here like an idiot.”

“And this is why I didn't bother. You hate everything I do and I wasn't in the mood for a lecture. Still not. Besides, Mr. Perfect just has to make it _personal._ Little old me didn't care enough to check up on him. Didn't dismiss him from duty like a proper soldier. Forgot about him altogether for a few hours in much more charming company because he isn't wanted. How it must grate that you can be done without,” Niles drawled, his voice dripping with venom. “B'cause even though I'm assigned to deal with you, I don't owe you anything.”

Tsubaki sighed and shook his head. “You really are despicable, using other people to deal with your own bitter loneliness.” It took all of his effort to look at the other man levelly, to not show that the comments had stung like a slap. “If you want to consort with ruffians and whores on your off hours, fine, just advise me as to when they are so that I can find company worth associating with.” He walked to his bedroom door at an even pace, neither hurrying nor holding back and opened it quietly. “Even after what we've been through, I can see that I was wrong to expect better. I won't make that mistake again. Good night Niles.” He closed the door softly, shutting out the smell of Niles' indiscretions and sat on the bed. He mechanically got changed to go to sleep and tried not to think of why anything Niles did mattered to him. His last thought before sleep took him was that Orochi had been right about this at least; the next few weeks were sure to be difficult.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miyukitty illustrated a quick comic of the final scene of this chapter, for extra feels https://twitter.com/Magepaw/status/990330628976492544 Go take a look and follow their art on Twitter!


	11. A Mission

The next day passed uneventfully. Tsubaki acted like the past night had simply not occurred and Niles went back to acting somewhat professional. A wall went up between them that led to distance and a certain level of comfortable silence. As the days turned into weeks and the Nohrian equivalent of summer began, Tsubaki became accustomed to the layout of the palace, the duties and meetings associated with being an envoy as well as the expected levels of courtesies and pleasantries commonly expected of people. All of which Niles ignored as often as possible. Niles piled administrative tasks on Tsubaki since Tsubaki was better at them and Niles found them to be utterly dull. Bandit raids continued and some lords led clean up parties in an attempt to gain the King's favour; the King was simply glad to have them out of his hair.

Sometimes he was assigned separate tasks from Niles – he privately thought that the King was testing him but he didn't mind – like helping in the training of new knights or the organizational efforts of the orphanage being opened in Elise's name. He did not ask what tasks Niles was assigned to and Niles rarely offered information. The rogue came back injured once and Tsubaki had tended to him since Niles had been insistent that they not disturb Lord Leo with whatever had happened; Tsubaki never did get the full story. Other times he had come back blood stained and weary, but it was not his blood. Tsubaki had known better than to ask about those times. However, Niles didn't ever come back drunk again, for which Tsubaki was thankful. And so a sort of peace existed between them that was not warm but livable.

Then it was no surprise when King Leo summoned them after a hasty breakfast one summer morning. Niles simply stood up and pushed the rest of the bun he had been eating into his mouth and began to head for the door. Tsubaki ate the last piece of a hard boiled egg and followed quickly, pulling the door shut behind him. He caught up to Niles easily enough and walked beside him in silence; he had learned quickly that anything said in one hallway would be known all over that floor of the castle in an hour and every floor of the castle in the space of an afternoon. He had also learned to dissemble and keep his face blank quickly as well; Nohrians were a subtle people, used to reading meaning in a frown or furrowed brow. It made the politics, what was said, what was meant and what was implied quite a tangle to unravel, yet it was fascinating. Hoshidans were more deeply bound by codes of honour and obligation and as such, were a more forthright and thoughtful people. Sure there were underhanded acts from time to time and the royalty had their ninjas to aid in certain deceptions, but the laws were generally respected and followed. For a lot of lords and ladies in the higher echelons of Nohrian society, laws were more of a technicality, something to be danced around and reinterpreted as necessary. He did not envy King Leo's task of bringing justice to his people and rebuilding their fractured trust. The King had enemies on all sides and few allies. He also had pride; there were many situations that could be improved by calling on their Hoshidan allies, but Nohrians refused to be seen as dependant on a foreign power.

Tsubaki shook his head as they reached the hall outside of the King's receiving room. As fascinating as it all was, he knew better than to let his mind wander; he had already survived one assassination attempt and didn't want to fall victim to another just because he was distracted.

One of the guards nodded to Niles and Tsubaki while another went into the receiving room to announce their arrival. They were quickly waved in, without any ceremony. Leo was waiting for them at the head of the room, in a chair that was just short of being a throne. They walked close enough to be able to talk comfortably and Niles inclined his head, while Tsubaki made a deeper bow. He had yet to figure out why the King allowed Niles to be as insolent as he was, but as usual the King simply ignored it.

“We have reports of trouble in the slums,” Leo said without preamble. “Missing women and children, numbers in the hundreds and many of the homes destroyed.” The word 'homes' was used loosely here; in the slums whatever shelter could be made or found could count as a 'home'.

“And the brothels?” Niles asked and Tsubaki winced but kept his mouth shut. Niles sounded serious and if he listened, he might make the connection.

“No new workers; in fact more than the usual amount are missing, according to reports. No bodies found in the debris either.”

“Slave traders,” Niles said sharply, a vicious light in his eye.

“Most likely. That is what you two are to find out. I want to know who is involved, where the victims are being kept and who their customers are.”

“What are your limits, my King?” Niles asked with an unfamiliar eagerness. Tsubaki shifted uneasily.

“Any nobility involved are to face a very public, very painful trial, so long as they can survive to see it. Ideally, the traders would face the same, however, should a rescue be possible, and should the need arise, you are not to take pains to preserve their lives at the expense of the victims. Your usual methods of gathering information are permitted and I will make gold available for your use.” Niles was grinning openly now. Tsubaki started as he recognized the glint in the other man's eye; blood lust.

“And you believe Tsubaki is ready for this?”

“I believe he might be a restraining force should you need any reminders about bringing those involved to trial,” King Leo replied dryly. Tsubaki nodded but kept his tongue still. Niles simply laughed; if chaos itself could laugh, that would be the sound, Tsubaki thought.

“Feel free to make use of any guards, should the need arise,” Leo went on, as if Niles' response were completely normal. “And please do not do anything that I may need to pardon you for,” he added with a pointed look.

Niles cocked his head to one side and nodded; Tsubaki's thoughts raced furiously trying to interpret what he had just seen. It was almost as if Leo had said that Niles could do whatever he needed to to complete this job so long as no one could prove he had done anything wrong.

“Of course my King. I would never want to put you in so uncomfortable a position.”

“No,” Leo said, a small smile playing at his lips, “you know better than to inconvenience me.”

“Indeed.”

“I'm glad that we understand each other. Odin will bring you all of the reports on the subject as well as the names of the few witnesses we have. Please update me as the situation changes.”

“Of course. Is there anything else that you require of me?” Tsubaki gave Niles a hard look at his tone; that he could make such a standard question imply so much wasn't shocking. That he spoke to his King in that tone was disgraceful.

Leo rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Nothing more. You are dismissed.”

As soon as they were out the door, Niles began to walk very quickly back to their rooms.

“Better keep up pretty, we have work to do. Much more interesting work than we've done so far.”

“I'm no slacker and I will not fall behind,” Tsubaki replied. Yet he couldn't help but wonder what exactly he had gotten himself into. If Niles smiling hadn't been frightening enough, the man seemed to be in a very good mood. He shivered and followed Niles down the hall.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating this. Had a breakdown at work, con crunch, zine fics to write and a death in the family, so life has been more hectic than usual. Hoping to get back on track, so here's a short chapter and the set up for the next arc of this story. I'll be switching between this and my new LeoNiles fic, Quintessentially Unreal, for the forseeable future. I only have one more zine project to work on at the moment so I hope to be a little more present soon.


	12. Preparations

As eager as Niles was to hit the streets, he knew he had to prepare for something like this. Odin was waiting in the sitting room of Niles' quarters when they returned. The mage looked a bit more lively than he had in the past year; wounds of the heart didn't heal quickly, but it was a sign that maybe Odin wouldn't submit to the abyss after all.

“My fellow conspirators, salutations and congratulations on being trusted with this imperative task,” Odin said by way of greeting.

“What have we got?” Niles asked as soon as the door was closed and locked behind them.

“In short, three hundred families sundered, many mavens of the night gone without a word and those most innocent stolen from their beds,” Odin said with distaste. “Alas, no one seems to have heard a thing. Few have been brave enough to talk to the officials of the King of Darkness but those that have...” he shrugged. “Well, they are as confused as the rest of us. They wake with their shelters aflame and their family already gone. They make it outside or sometimes they don't, but those that do cannot find their womenfolk or children.”

“Which suggests that the fires are to cover the escape of the kidnappers,” Niles replied with a nod. Simple, but effective.

“Indeed. And it's no longer just the slums, some of the trades folk are now reporting losses as well.”

“Which is probably the only reason that the guards brought this to the King's attention,” Niles said dryly. Odin nodded. “So no one wants to talk. The guards are probably afraid of the trades folk rioting, while being deeply inconvenienced by their missing favourites at the brothels.”

“Precisely. The King seems to think that you can get to the bottom of this, given your... ah... reputation at certain establishments.” Niles smirked as Odin blushed quite vividly at his sole memory of one such establishment.

“There are people that will talk to Zero. A foreign lord on the other hand,” Niles shot a meaningful look at Tsubaki, “won't help matters.”

“I've taken the liberty of procuring raiment suitable for a friend of such a rogue. A merchant's guard on leave, perhaps?”

“Exactly what I had in mind,” Niles replied with a grin. He looked over at Tsubaki, who had been quietly reading the reports. Tsubaki simply nodded and kept reading, and Niles' grin fell. “I might have to rough him up a bit for the role.”

Odin simply shook his head while Tsubaki kept reading. The lack of response was irritating, but Niles shoved it aside.

“If you need anything else,” Odin said in an effort to divert Niles' attention, “you are to come to me. The King is keeping this quiet for now, so that you can proceed without encumbrance.”

“Three hundred that we know of,” Tsubaki said quietly. “Yet so few people have come forward. And this would have gone unnoticed if it wasn't affecting the trades people. How many more are missing?”

“Probably double the amount,” Niles answered.

“And no one cares? How do your people live this way?”

Niles simply stared at Tsubaki; he was angry, upset, over this. They weren't his people and yet this _bothered_ him.

“Because most of our people can barely make ends meet for themselves. They don't have the luxury of being able to take care of each other.”

“King Leo has his work cut out for him,” Odin interjected quietly. “But this benefits the other nobles. They have everything, why would they want to give it up? It'll take years if not decades to change their minds; likely it'll be easier to change their successors who have seen the war's tolls. Until they change, all we can do is try to right the wrongs committed; preventing them is impossible without more support.”

Niles stared open mouthed at Odin, while Tsubaki nodded dejectedly. He had never heard Odin speak like that, as if he were nobility himself. But no one who spoke that way could possibly be a noble from another kingdom; he would be too busy caring for his own people, instead of serving foreign royalty.

“It doesn't mean that what we do isn't worth it,” Odin continued. “The people need examples of justice and kindness in order to bestow the same on others. We can do that, at least.”

“And we will,” Niles replied simply. The silence stretched and Odin awkwardly bowed himself out. Tsubaki was standing there, reports in hand but forgotten, obviously lost in thought. He walked over and took the reports, familiarizing himself with the details.

Niles almost immediately upped his estimate of missing or dead people as he read; the clerk that had combined the guards reports and ran the numbers had no first hand experience with the slums. He didn't understand that families could have half a dozen children and only one living parent; sometimes there wasn't even one due to famine or disease. The people in the slums didn't have healers with staves that could wash away any injury or access to the herbs that could help with so many ailments, let alone spells for contraception. He set the reports on the table beside the clothes that Odin had procured for Tsubaki.

Tsubaki finally came back to himself and joined Niles beside the table.

“Who is Zero?”

Niles winced. Very few people knew that name and he preferred it that way. But Tsubaki had already heard it and would be hearing it more often.

“I am. It was my name before I came to work here,” he said quietly.

“So it's true then, that you're from the slums.” It wasn't a question yet it wasn't said with cruelty either; just a statement of fact.

“Yeah. My friends and I got the bright idea to rob the palace; they left me as a scapegoat when we were discovered. Lord Leo gave me a place, a reason, to go on. To do things I could be proud of.”

“Is that how you lost your eye?”

“No.”

Silence settled and Niles moved away, dis-inviting more personal questions. He looked Tsubaki over, planning as he did so.

“Can we cut your hair?”

“No! Why?”

“I guess dyeing it is out of the question then,” Niles continued.

“It most certainly is.”

“You look too Hoshidan, even in foreign clothes. Even in common clothes, I think you'll still look high class.”

“And that'll be a problem,” Tsubaki said flatly.

“It'll be an invitation to a knife in your ribs, a little something in your drink, to robbery at best, murder or worse. The slums are dangerous and your are quite pretty. If you look like you have money as well...” Niles shrugged. “We'll be dodging cut throats and footpads the whole way.”

“I'm pretty.” Tsubaki had the nerve to sound insulted about that!

“What would you prefer?” Niles asked sarcastically.

“Handsome at the least. Pretty is reserved for women,” Tsubaki replied haughtily.

“Hmm... might have more luck dressing you as a girl at that. If you can heighten your voice, we can pass you off as my evening entertainment,” Niles said as seriously as he could manage.

“No. That is a no.”

Niles sighed and looked around the room. “Get changed and I'll see what I can do to disguise you better.” He walked off to his own room to dig out the clothes that he typically wore to the slums; old, worn thin, typically with a hole or a bloodstain or two. He changed quickly and armed himself with knives; bows were basically useless in the close quarters of the slums. He left his sword as well. It invited too many challenges.

It was as Niles feared; Tsubaki still looked every bit the noble, even in clothes that did not quite fit him. There was something in his bearing, grace, dignity or maybe just pretentiousness, that would single him out at a hundred yards as a target.

“Take your hair down,” Niles ordered as he tried to figure out how to fix this, short of leaving Tsubaki behind. The other man looked annoyed at Niles' tone but he complied. It simply made him more alluring. Niles scowled and walked over to the fireplace. He scooped up some ashes and walked over to Tsubaki who eyes him nervously.

“Rub these on your face and in your hair. You look too clean.”

“Your infrequent bathing habits suddenly make more sense,” Tsubaki replied wryly. He complied though, so Niles let the comment pass. He looked a little rougher but still too pretty, too... healthy.

“I suppose you won't let me bruise you up a bit,” Niles said with a sigh. He walked into his office and returned with his bottle of brown ink. “Hold still.” He rubbed some of the ink into Tsubaki's face and put some in his hair for good measure. Which was met with more scowling and long suffering looks. Niles stood back and looked at his handy work.

“It'll do,” he concluded.

“It best.”

“Keep that scowl, it'll help,” Niles added as he turned away. “I suppose you're going to need a name...”

“Arum,” Tsubaki replied after a moment of thought.

“After the flower?” Niles asked.

“I'm already named after one, so it won't trip me up that much. And Camellia sounds far to close to Camilla for comfort,” Tsubaki explained. Niles simply snorted and nodded.

Niles walked into his room, and proceeded to the back wall. After a moment, Tsubaki followed him, looking perplexed.

“I'm about to show you something that not even Odin is aware of. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, your life is forfeit.”

“You have my silence.”

“For once,” Niles responded automatically. He felt along the wall for a certain stone, muttered the words Leo had taught him and pushed. The rush of energy left him breathless for a moment as the wall became a doorway that led to a very narrow corridor.

“These run throughout the castle. They need magic to be opened but it is a weak magic. They aren't listed on any record or blueprint,” Niles continued. “If anyone ever comes through one of these doors that shouldn't, I will kill you. Even Lady Camilla is unaware of these passages, as far as I know.”

Tsubaki nodded. “I always wondered how the King managed to move around the castle unseen. This explains a lot.”

“In politics, if you can outpace rumour you have an advantage,” Niles said as if quoting someone. “Now let's get going.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I have no clue how long this will be or where I'm going with it. Glad to have others along for the ride =)


End file.
